Cowboy Pasta Salad - The Stay At Home Chef

This is without doubt 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!

If you happen to 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 do-it-yourself salsa verde dressing brings a smoky kick you’ll love.
Makes for a brilliant 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, do-it-yourself dressing. It’s our secret ingredient! Keep in mind, pasta salad is simply nearly 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, make certain 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 quick pasta like fusilli or penne.
Floor Beef: We like utilizing 80/20 beef for the perfect taste. Floor turkey or hen works too if you would like it a little bit lighter.
Cheddar Cheese: Sharp cheddar brings a little bit further punch, however actually, any cheese you like will work. Pepper jack can be superior if you would like a little bit kick.
Cherry or Grape Tomatoes: Both one is ideal. Reduce them in halves or quarters so that you get the proper chew. A mixture of pink and yellow tomatoes seems actually fairly too.
Black Beans: Give them a very good rinse and drain to maintain issues from getting soggy.
Canned Corn: Completely tremendous to make use of straight from the can, however you can even use uncooked contemporary corn or frozen corn.
Crimson Onion: Crimson onions are the perfect for consuming uncooked.
Jalapeño: Completely elective! Recent jalapeños add a pleasant spicy crunch, or use pickled for rather less warmth.
Bacon: Crumble it up! Prepare dinner your personal 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: Recent-squeezed is at all times going to have the perfect taste, however bottled lime juice works too.

Alter the Warmth

The most effective issues about cowboy pasta is how straightforward it’s to tweak the spice. If you happen to’re into warmth, seize a sizzling salsa verde, bump up the chili powder, and toss a number of further jalapeño slices on prime. Not a fan of spicy? Keep on with 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 straightforward to make forward. You’ll be able to whip up the dressing 1 to 2 days early and stash it within the fridge. Prepare dinner the pasta and floor beef the night time earlier than, too. Simply hold them separate so every little thing stays contemporary. Once you’re able to eat, all you’ve acquired to do is chop the cheese and tomatoes and toss all of it collectively in a giant bowl. Carried out and executed.