Go Back

Mexican Pasta Salad

Mexican pasta salad with a cilantro-lime dressing and a crunchy mix of corn, black beans, peppers, and cherry tomatoes. Cooked pasta gets rinsed for a tender-yet-firm bite, then chills for a fiesta-style, scoopable texture.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican-American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta and vegetables
  • 1 lb rotini or shells pasta Use 1 lb dry pasta.
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans Drained and rinsed.
  • 1 cup corn kernels
  • 1 red bell pepper diced Dice into small pieces.
  • 1 green bell pepper diced Dice into small pieces.
  • 0.5 cup red onion Diced.
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes Halved.
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Cilantro-lime dressing
  • 0.5 cup mayonnaise
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 0.25 cup lime juice
  • 2 tsp taco seasoning
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 0.25 cup cilantro Chopped, plus extra for topping if desired.
  • salt and pepper to taste

Method
 

Cook and rinse pasta
  1. Cook rotini or shells pasta according to package directions, drain, and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking and keep the pasta from clumping.
Make the cilantro-lime dressing
  1. Whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, taco seasoning, cumin, salt, and pepper until smooth and fully combined.
Assemble the salad
  1. In a large bowl, combine pasta, black beans, corn, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and cheddar cheese.
Coat and chill
  1. Pour dressing over the salad and toss to coat so the pasta and vegetables are evenly slicked with dressing.
  2. Refrigerate the salad for at least 2 hours so the flavors meld and the texture firms up.
Serve
  1. Top with fresh cilantro before serving for a bright, herbal finish.

Notes

For the best texture, rinse the hot pasta under cold water until cool so it stays springy in the bowl. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days; for best flavor and texture, don’t freeze because the sour cream base can break. If you want a lighter option, swap sour cream for plain Greek yogurt for a tangy, lower-fat dressing.