Cowboy Pasta Salad - The Keep At Residence Chef

This is likely one of the most filling pasta salads on the market! It’s full of meat, cheese, beans, and greens. Convey to a BBQ or make as a fast and straightforward dinner at dwelling and we promise there received’t be any complaints about leaving hungry!

For those who love this recipe, you’ll love our “cowboy caviar” Black Bean and Corn Salad.

Why Our Recipe

Loaded with all the great things. We’re speaking beef, bacon, cheddar, and veggies.
Our creamy home made salsa verde dressing brings a smoky kick you’ll love.
Makes for an excellent filling dinner, or deliver it to a potluck or BBQ to feed a crowd.

A Bowl full of Cowboy Pasta Salad displaying the ingredients on top.

Half of this pasta salad’s flavorful goodness comes from our scrumptious, home made dressing. It’s our secret ingredient! Keep in mind, pasta salad is simply pretty much as good because the dressing you placed on it. Our cowboy dressing is made with salsa verde, lime juice, and loads of smoky spices and seasonings. The salsa permits you to actually mess around with the warmth stage, so when you prefer it scorching, be certain to make use of medium to scorching salsa.

Ingredient Notes

Overhead layout of Ingredients for Cowboy Pasta Salad.

Rotini Pasta: Rotini’s nice for grabbing onto all that dressing. No rotini? Use one other quick pasta like fusilli or penne.
Floor Beef: We like utilizing 80/20 beef for the perfect taste. Floor turkey or hen works too if you’d like it slightly lighter.
Cheddar Cheese: Sharp cheddar brings slightly additional punch, however actually, any cheese you like will work. Pepper jack can be superior if you’d like slightly kick.
Cherry or Grape Tomatoes: Both one is ideal. Minimize them in halves or quarters so that you get the right chunk. A mixture of purple and yellow tomatoes seems actually fairly too.
Black Beans: Give them a superb rinse and drain to maintain issues from getting soggy.
Canned Corn: Completely positive to make use of straight from the can, however you too can use uncooked contemporary corn or frozen corn.
Crimson Onion: Crimson onions are the perfect for consuming uncooked.
Jalapeño: Completely non-compulsory! Contemporary jalapeños add a pleasant spicy crunch, or use pickled for rather less warmth.
Bacon: Crumble it up! Prepare dinner your individual or seize the pre-cooked form.
Salsa Verde: Seize a jar of your favourite delicate or medium salsa verde. Use no matter warmth stage you want.
Lime Juice: Contemporary-squeezed is at all times going to have the perfect taste, however bottled lime juice works too.

Regulate the Warmth

Probably the greatest issues about cowboy pasta is how simple it’s to tweak the spice. For those who’re into warmth, seize a scorching salsa verde, bump up the chili powder, and toss a number of additional jalapeño slices on prime. Not a fan of spicy? Stick to delicate salsa and skip the chili powder and jalapeños. Simple!

Closeup image of Cowboy Pasta Salad with dressing drizzled over it.

Make-Forward Directions

This salad’s tremendous simple to make forward. You may whip up the dressing 1 to 2 days early and stash it within the fridge. Prepare dinner the pasta and floor beef the evening earlier than, too. Simply preserve them separate so every thing stays contemporary. While you’re able to eat, all you’ve acquired to do is chop the cheese and tomatoes and toss all of it collectively in a giant bowl. Accomplished and carried out.