Cowboy Pasta Salad - The Keep At Dwelling Chef

This is likely one of 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 simple dinner at residence and we promise there gained’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 home made 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, home made 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 means that you can actually mess around with the warmth stage, so should you 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 brief pasta like fusilli or penne.
Floor Beef: We like utilizing 80/20 beef for the most effective taste. Floor turkey or hen works too in order for you it a bit of lighter.
Cheddar Cheese: Sharp cheddar brings a bit of additional punch, however truthfully, any cheese you’re keen on will work. Pepper jack can be superior in order for you a bit of kick.
Cherry or Grape Tomatoes: Both one is ideal. Reduce them in halves or quarters so that you get the right chew. A mixture of pink and yellow tomatoes seems to be actually fairly too.
Black Beans: Give them a very good rinse and drain to maintain issues from getting soggy.
Canned Corn: Completely superb 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! 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 type.
Salsa Verde: Seize a jar of your favourite delicate or medium salsa verde. Use no matter warmth stage you want.
Lime Juice: Contemporary-squeezed is all the time going to have the most effective taste, however bottled lime juice works too.

Modify 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 a number of additional jalapeño slices on prime. Not a fan of spicy? Follow delicate salsa and skip the chili powder and jalapeños. Simple!

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 preserve them separate so the whole lot 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 achieved.