Cowboy Pasta Salad - The Keep At House Chef

This is among the most filling pasta salads on the market! It’s filled with 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!

Should you 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 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, home made dressing. It’s our secret ingredient! Keep in mind, pasta salad is barely nearly 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 if you happen to prefer it sizzling, be sure that 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 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 truthfully, any cheese you’re keen on will work. Pepper jack could be superior if you need a bit of kick.
Cherry or Grape Tomatoes: Both one is ideal. Lower them in halves or quarters so that you get the right chunk. A mixture of crimson and yellow tomatoes appears to be like 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 you may as well use uncooked recent corn or frozen corn.
Crimson Onion: Crimson onions are the most effective for consuming uncooked.
Jalapeño: Completely non-obligatory! Contemporary jalapeños add a pleasant spicy crunch, or use pickled for rather less warmth.
Bacon: Crumble it up! Cook dinner your individual or seize the pre-cooked sort.
Salsa Verde: Seize a jar of your favourite delicate or medium salsa verde. Use no matter warmth degree you want.
Lime Juice: Contemporary-squeezed is at all times going to have the most effective taste, however bottled lime juice works too.

Regulate the Warmth

Among the best issues about cowboy pasta is how simple it’s to tweak the spice. Should you’re into warmth, seize a sizzling salsa verde, bump up the chili powder, and toss a number of further jalapeño slices on high. Not a fan of spicy? Keep on with delicate 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 possibly can 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 all the pieces stays recent. Whenever 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. Achieved and performed.