Southwest Pasta Salad

This healthy and light recipe is an ideal side dish for cookouts and can be easily upgraded to a main course. Made with beans, corn, and bursts of Southwest flavor, it's vibrant and delicious.

Course Main Course, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 35

Cook Time 15

Total Time 50

Servings 1.5-cup servings

Calories 417kcal

Author Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

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

US Customary - Metric

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.
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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.

Nutrition