Go Back
–+ servings
Southwest Pasta Salad

Vibrant Southwest Pasta Salad: A Summer Delight You’ll Love

Enjoy a refreshing Southwest Pasta Salad brimming with colorful veggies and zesty chipotle ranch dressing, perfect for summer gatherings.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Chill Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 23 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Salads
Cuisine: Southwestern
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Salad
  • 8 ounces Rotini Pasta or your favorite medium-sized noodles
  • 1 can Black Beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup Corn canned or frozen
  • 1 cup Bell Pepper diced
  • 1 small Red Onion diced
  • 1 cup Cherry or Grape Tomatoes halved
  • 1/4 cup Cilantro chopped
  • 1 cup Grilled Chicken chopped, optional for vegetarian version
For the Dressing
  • 1 cup Chipotle Ranch Dressing or regular ranch for a milder flavor

Equipment

  • large pot
  • colander
  • mixing bowl
  • spatula
  • plastic wrap

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Cook the rotini pasta according to package directions in a large pot of boiling water until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool.
  2. Dice the bell peppers and red onion, halve the cherry or grape tomatoes, chop the cilantro and grilled chicken, and drain and rinse the black beans and corn.
Mixing
  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled rotini pasta, black beans, corn, bell pepper, onion, tomatoes, cilantro, and grilled chicken.
  2. Gently fold the ingredients together until evenly mixed.
Dressing and Chilling
  1. Add the chipotle ranch dressing to the pasta salad and stir gently to coat all ingredients.
  2. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Serving
  1. After chilling, give the salad a gentle stir before serving.
  2. Enjoy the vibrant Southwest Pasta Salad as a side dish or light meal.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowlCalories: 320kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 15gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 500mgPotassium: 600mgFiber: 8gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 30IUVitamin C: 50mgCalcium: 5mgIron: 12mg

Notes

Chill for at least one hour for enhanced flavor. Add extra dressing if using leftover pasta to prevent dryness.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!