Taco Pasta Salad Recipe
Hearty Taco Pasta Salad with seasoned beef, rotini, and tortilla strips. The versatile, make ahead salad that is perfect for Taco Tuesday, barbecues, and picnics.
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Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 16 ounces rotini pasta
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 ounce taco seasoning same as one packet
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- ½ medium green bell pepper diced
- ½ medium red bell pepper diced
- 4 green onions chopped
- 15 ounces sweet corn drained, rinsed
- 15 ounces kidney beans drained, rinsed
- 12 ounces Catalina dressing or your favorite tangy dressing or salsa
- ½ cup Tortilla strips or crushed Dorito for garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta, al dente, according to package instructions. Do not overcook.
- Drain and rinse pasta with cool water. Allow pasta to continue draining in strainer while you prepare remaining ingredients.
- Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown ground beef until no longer pink. Drain if desired.
- Add taco seasoning and water (according to packet instructions) to the ground beef.
- Cook for 3-5 minutes, while stirring, until sauce is thick and the meat is seasoned. Set aside and let cool.
- Once the meat is cool, add to a large bowl. Combine with cooked pasta, corn, tomatoes, beans, peppers and onions. Toss gently to mix.
- Slowly pour the Catalina or French dressing over the mixture. Toss again to coat the ingredients. Chill before serving.
- When ready to serve, top with colorful tortilla strips, chips, sour cream, or shredded cheese.
Notes
- Cook the pasta to al dente. It softens as it sits in the dressing.
- Leave the tortilla strips off until serving so they stay crunchy.
- Let the taco meat cool before combining, so it doesn't heat up and wilt the pasta and veggies.
- Serve it chilled or at room temperature, whichever you prefer.
- Stir once more right before serving to redistribute the dressing.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 684kcal | Carbohydrates: 105g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 918mg | Potassium: 985mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 1178IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 6mg
