Cowboy Pasta Salad - The Keep At Residence Chef

This is among 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 straightforward dinner at dwelling and we promise there gained’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 do-it-yourself 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, do-it-yourself dressing. It’s our secret ingredient! Bear 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 degree, so should you prefer it scorching, be sure 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 most effective taste. Floor turkey or hen works too if you need it a bit of lighter.
Cheddar Cheese: Sharp cheddar brings a bit of further punch, however actually, any cheese you’re keen on will work. Pepper jack can be superior if you need a bit of kick.
Cherry or Grape Tomatoes: Both one is ideal. Reduce them in halves or quarters so that you get the proper chunk. A mixture of purple and yellow tomatoes appears actually fairly too.
Black Beans: Give them an excellent rinse and drain to maintain issues from getting soggy.
Canned Corn: Completely nice to make use of straight from the can, however it’s also possible to use uncooked contemporary corn or frozen corn.
Purple Onion: Purple onions are the most effective for consuming uncooked.
Jalapeño: Completely non-compulsory! Recent 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 sort.
Salsa Verde: Seize a jar of your favourite gentle or medium salsa verde. Use no matter warmth degree you want.
Lime Juice: Recent-squeezed is at all times going to have the most effective taste, however bottled lime juice works too.

Regulate the Warmth

The most effective issues about cowboy pasta is how straightforward it’s to tweak the spice. For those who’re into warmth, seize a scorching salsa verde, bump up the chili powder, and toss just a few further jalapeño slices on prime. Not a fan of spicy? Stick to 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 straightforward to make forward. You possibly can 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. If you’re able to eat, all you’ve bought to do is chop the cheese and tomatoes and toss all of it collectively in an enormous bowl. Completed and executed.