This healthy and flavorful twist on Southwest pasta salad is the perfect recipe for summer cookouts and potlucks. It’s made with black beans, corn, bell peppers, green onions, fresh cilantro, and avocado, all coated in a creamy and zesty jalapeño lime dressing. You’ll love the pops of color and variety of vegetables that turn ordinary pasta into something your guests will remember! Make it ahead of time for maximum flavor.
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Dietitian Lizzie’s Notes
This recipe for Southwest pasta salad was one of those things that just came to me in the kitchen! I was craving fresh summer foods and had cans of corn and black beans in my pantry. These ingredients inspired some other Southwest-inspired flavors, which then jogged my memory about a honey lime juice dressing I made a few years ago.
I put it all together, and OMG…it turned out just perfect. There’s a mix of textures (crunchy, creamy, and al dente) and a variety of flavors (tangy, sweet, spicy, and earthy). And the best part? It’s light and healthy, without a boatload of mayo or cheese. Plus, there’s 8 grams of fiber per serving, which means you can get about a third of your fiber needs for the day just by eating this delicious dish!
This is bound to become a recipe you make on repeat for cookouts and gatherings with friends and family. You can also serve it as a versatile side or main dish, adding a protein of choice and customizing it however you’d like. Be sure to leave a comment to let me know what you think!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Pasta: I prefer making this recipe with bowtie pasta, but it works well with other short-cut pastas like fusilli (rotini), penne, or cavatappi. If you need it to be gluten-free, use a legume-based or other gluten-free pasta.
- Black beans: Substitute pinto beans, kidney beans, or white beans.
- Corn: Canned corn works well, but consider using fresh sweet corn if it’s in season! Cooked frozen corn also works.
- Bell pepper: I usually use red bell pepper to make Southwest pasta salad, but any color works.
- Avocado: Omit if you’re not a fan.
- Scallions: Substitute red onion if needed. I recommend letting the red onion sit in the dressing so it softens a bit if you do that.
- Cilantro: Parsley works if you don’t like or have cilantro.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Sub avocado oil if needed.
- Fresh lime juice: While this is a key ingredient for the flavor profile, you could substitute lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, or white wine vinegar in a pinch.
- Jalapeño: This gives some heat to the dressing. Use a serrano pepper if you want it spicier or a poblano if you want it less spicy and smokier.
- Greek yogurt: I used full-fat plain Greek yogurt, but you can use nonfat or low-fat if that’s what you have. Sub sour cream if needed.
- Honey: Use maple or agave syrup as subs (or monk fruit for a sugar-free option). Granulated sugar also works.
- Cumin: Sub with a teaspoon of chili powder and teaspoon of coriander if you don’t have cumin.
How to Make Southwest Pasta Salad
The full recipe card is at the bottom of the post. Here’s a preview of the steps with photos to guide you in the kitchen.
Cook the pasta until al dente.
Drain and rinse with cold water. Rinsing prevents the pasta from sticking and washes away the starch on the surface so that the dressing can coat it better. Let it dry before transferring to a large mixing bowl.
Combine the dressing ingredients in a food processor or high-powered blender.
Blend until smooth and creamy with no chunks of jalapeño remaining. I personally love making the dressing in my NutriBullet. It gets silky smooth!
Combine the vegetables, beans, and cilantro with the pasta in the bowl. Stir well.
Pour the dressing over the salad, and stir until coated.
Make It Your Own
- Increase the heat. Add a chipotle pepper in adobo sauce to the dressing and/or a can of diced green chiles to the salad for more Southwest flair. Use fire-roasted corn, too!
- Add grilled chicken, tofu, or shrimp. These are excellent proteins to add to Southwest pasta salad. You can also use Barilla chickpea pasta (or a similar brand) to boost the protein.
- Use tomatoes. I’m not a fan of raw tomatoes in pasta salads, so I left them out. Use halved grape or cherry tomatoes if you want that flavor!
- Add cheese. Crumbled cotija cheese, queso fresco, or feta cheese would taste lovely.
- Boost the crunch. Add diced jicama or sliced radishes.
- Make it vegan. Sub plant-based Greek yogurt or even tahini in the dressing.
What to Serve With It
This recipe pairs well with burgers, steak, hot dogs, Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers, and chicken, shrimp, or veggie skewers. Carne asada or carnitas would be delicious with it.
Storage and Make-Ahead
When stored in an airtight container, Southwest pasta salad will last in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The avocado will get brown over time. If you want to make the pasta salad in advance, combine everything except the avocado in a large bowl. Add the avocado just before serving.
You may also want to add a fresh squeeze of lime juice and give it a good stir to freshen up the flavors before serving. I don’t recommend making pasta salad too far in advance, just 1 to 2 days, since it can get soggy over time.
More Summer Salad Recipes
- Pasta Salad with Artichokes and Spinach
- Ditalini Pasta Salad with Basil Vinaigrette
- Caprese Orzo Salad
- Summer Tortellini Salad with Roasted Vegetables
- Shrimp Orzo Pasta Salad
FAQs
- Is Southwest pasta salad served cold or warm? It tastes delicious either way! You can eat it right after preparation or after it chills in the fridge for an hour or more. The flavors will get deeper as it sits in the dressing. If you serve it cold, add the avocado just before eating.
- Can you freeze it? Since this recipe is a creamy pasta salad that has Greek yogurt in the dressing, I don’t recommend freezing it. The dressing may become grainy after thawing.
- What mistakes should I avoid when making pasta salad? Don’t skip the step of rinsing the cooked pasta. This is key for stopping the cooking process and making sure it doesn’t stick together. However, you also want it to be dry before adding the dressing! Let it drip dry while prepping the other ingredients.
📖 Recipe
Southwest Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Pasta salad
- 12 ounces dry bowtie or rotini pasta
- 1 large red bell pepper - seeded and diced
- 3 to 4 scallions - thinly sliced, about ½ cup
- 15 ounces canned corn - drained and rinsed
- 15 ounces black beans - drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
- 1 large avocado - diced
Honey lime jalapeño dressing
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons full-fat plain Greek yogurt
- ⅓ cup freshly squeezed lime juice - from about 3 limes
- ¼ cup seeded and diced jalapeño - 1 small or ½ large
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Let it drip dry while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Rinsing will prevent it from clumping together, but you don't want to put dressing on wet pasta (or else it won't adhere very well).
- Dice the bell pepper, slice the scallions, dice the avocado, and chop the cilantro. Drain and rinse the beans and corn.
- In a food processor or high-speed blender, combine the olive oil, Greek yogurt, lime juice, diced jalapeño, honey, cumin, salt, and pepper. Blend on medium to high until smooth and creamy without any pieces of jalapeño remaining.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, bell pepper, scallions, avocado, cilantro, beans, and corn.
- Pour the dressing over the ingredients. Stir well until coated.
- Enjoy right away or let it sit in a covered bowl in the fridge for an hour to chill and develop more flavor. If you plan to eat it after an hour, wait to add the avocado until just before eating so it doesn't brown.
- Leave a rating or review by tapping the stars on this recipe card (above) or in the comments section (at the end of the post)!
Notes
- Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, but keep in mind the avocado will get brown over time.
- Make-ahead: Combine everything but the avocado in a large bowl, cover, and keep in the refrigerator. Add the avocado just before serving. I don’t recommend making the salad too far in advance (maybe just up to 1 or 2 days) to prevent it from getting soggy.
- Protein boost: Add grilled chicken, tofu, or shrimp.
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