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. Deliver to a BBQ or make as a fast and simple dinner at residence and we promise there received’t be any complaints about leaving hungry!

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

Why Our Recipe

Loaded with all the good things. We’re speaking beef, bacon, cheddar, and veggies.
Our creamy selfmade salsa verde dressing brings a smoky kick you’ll love.
Makes for an excellent filling dinner, or carry 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, selfmade dressing. It’s our secret ingredient! Bear in mind, pasta salad is just 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 lets you actually mess around with the warmth degree, so in the event you prefer it sizzling, make certain to make use of medium to sizzling 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 one of the best taste. Floor turkey or hen works too if you’d like it slightly lighter.
Cheddar Cheese: Sharp cheddar brings slightly further punch, however actually, any cheese you like will work. Pepper jack could be superior if you’d like slightly kick.
Cherry or Grape Tomatoes: Both one is ideal. Lower them in halves or quarters so that you get the proper chunk. A mixture of pink and yellow tomatoes appears to be like actually fairly too.
Black Beans: Give them rinse and drain to maintain issues from getting soggy.
Canned Corn: Completely high-quality to make use of straight from the can, however you may as well use uncooked contemporary corn or frozen corn.
Purple Onion: Purple onions are one of the best for consuming uncooked.
Jalapeño: Completely optionally available! Contemporary jalapeños add a pleasant spicy crunch, or use pickled for rather less warmth.
Bacon: Crumble it up! Cook dinner your personal or seize the pre-cooked form.
Salsa Verde: Seize a jar of your favourite gentle or medium salsa verde. Use no matter warmth degree you want.
Lime Juice: Contemporary-squeezed is all the time going to have one of the best taste, however bottled lime juice works too.

Regulate the Warmth

Top-of-the-line issues about cowboy pasta is how simple it’s to tweak the spice. When you’re into warmth, seize a sizzling salsa verde, bump up the chili powder, and toss just a few further jalapeño slices on high. Not a fan of spicy? Persist with gentle salsa and skip the chili powder and jalapeños. Straightforward!

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

Make-Forward Directions

This salad’s tremendous simple to make forward. You’ll be able to whip up the dressing 1 to 2 days early and stash it within the fridge. Cook dinner the pasta and floor beef the evening earlier than, too. Simply hold them separate so every part stays contemporary. If you’re able to eat, all you’ve received to do is chop the cheese and tomatoes and toss all of it collectively in a giant bowl. Executed and finished.