Creamy Mexican Pasta Salad
Sure to be a hit at the barbecue or alongside any summer meal, this Mexican Pasta Salad is loaded with black beans, corn, red peppers, and so much more. A creamy Southwestern Dressing gives it a kicked-up, zesty flavor, but Greek yogurt keeps it light. Plus, you can make it with gluten free noodles!
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration: American, Tex-Mex
- Primary Cooking Method: Stovetop
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free option
- Skill Level: Easy
Macaroni salad or pasta salad are summertime staples. But sometimes you need to change things up a bit. Or, more specifically, kick them up with some Tex-Mex-inspired ingredients. Unlike your typical pasta salad recipes that can be very heavy with a mayo- or oil-based dressing, this one is super light but still ultra-creamy. It’s based on my Creamy Southwestern Dressing using the Greek yogurt option.
With bold flavors, a bit of spice, and a rainbow of ingredients, I’m sure you will love this dish as much as we do.
Why You’ll Love This Mexican Pasta Salad
- Easy to prepare. This Mexican pasta salad recipe is so simple. Just cook the pasta, stir together the dressing, and toss everything together.
- Customizable. You can easily add, subtract, or substitute ingredients based on what you love. Keep reading for some of my ideas or come up with your own.
- Versatile. It’s a quick side or even cold lunch that you can make any day of the week. And it’s a great dish to bring to a potluck – everyone will be begging for the recipe.
- Make it gluten free. While you can use regular or even whole wheat noodles, you can definitely prepare it with gluten free pasta, just as I did! Just be sure you don’t overcook the pasta or make it too far in advance since GF noodles can get mushy.
Recipe Ingredients
A short list of fresh ingredients and some pantry staples give this creamy pasta salad recipe all the Mexican flavors you love. Here’s an overview of these items with important notes and possible substitutions. The full amounts are in the recipe card further down in the post.
For the Creamy Southwestern Dressing
- Plain Greek yogurt: Nonfat, low fat, or whole will all work fine. You can even substitute sour cream or half mayo and half heavy cream.
- Salsa: Use your favorite, whether you like it hot or mild.
- Olive oil
- Apple cider vinegar: For some extra zing, feel free to substitute fresh lime juice.
- Spices: In the pasta salad dressing, you’ll use a combination of salt, garlic powder,onion powder, chili powder, cumin, and black pepper to give it its smoky, spicy flavor.
- Fresh cilantro: Mince it and set a little aside to garnish your pasta salad when it’s done.
For the Pasta Salad
- Uncooked pasta: I like to use rotini, but any short pasta will do, such as penne or elbow macaroni. And yes, gluten free pasta can also be used.
- Canned black beans: Make sure you drain and rinse them.
- Corn: This can be frozen (just be sure to thaw it), from a can (drain off the liquid), or cut right off the cob. You can even grill it or make Air Fryer Corn on the Cob if you want a little smoky flavor.
- Grape tomatoes: Or cherry tomatoes. Slice them in half.
- Red onion: Mince it nice and small.
- Red bell pepper: Chopped. You can use any color, but I recommend a sweet one, like red, yellow, or orange, versus the green ones that can be bitter.
🍴 In the Cupcakes & Kale Chips Kitchen…
- Make it with gluten free pasta. Because it might sit around for a few hours before you eat it, I recommend a heartier gluten free pasta like quinoa or chickpea pasta. My favorite is Banza Chickpea Rotini. I also recommend cooking the pasta slightly al dente so it doesn’t break apart.
How to Make Southwestern Pasta Salad
It’s really so easy, and you’ll find the details in the recipe card. The most time-consuming part is chopping the veggies, but you can do that while you wait for the water to boil!
- Cook the pasta: Boil your pasta according to the package directions. Then run it under cold water to chill it down. You can even stick it in the fridge while you do other preparations.
- Prep the Ingredients: Thaw the corn, drain and rinse the beans, and wash and chop the vegetables. Add the pasta, beans, corn, tomatoes, and onions to a large bowl.
- Make the Dressing: Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and stir them together.
- Finish the Mexican Pasta Salad: Pour the dressing over the top and stir everything together. Garnish with a little cilantro, if you like, then dig in!
Tips and Variations
- Double It: This recipe is based on using 8 oz. of pasta which is the typical size box of gluten free pasta, or half a box of regular pasta. It makes about 6-8 servings. So if you want to bring it to a party, just double all of the ingredients.
- Add Some Protein: Try mixing in some cooked chicken or shrimp to make it a little heartier if you want to enjoy your Mexican pasta salad as a meal.
- Make it Your Own: Add some avocado, swap the red bell peppers for another color, mix in cheddar or cotija cheese, add some black olives or sliced green onions, or give it a little extra kick with jalapenos or hot sauce. The possibilities are endless.
- Prep it Ahead. You can enjoy it right away, but letting it sit for a few hours will really allow the flavors to develop and come together. If you want to make it more than just a few hours in advance, you can prepare the dressing the day before and even cook the pasta and leave it covered in the fridge. Then just mix it all up the day you want to serve it.
Storing Leftovers
Covered tightly, this Southwestern Pasta Salad will keep in the refrigerator for up for 2-3 days if you use regular pasta. Gluten free pasta does tend to break down or get a little mushy, so I recommend enjoying it by the next day. If it has dried out a little, you can add a little more yogurt and oil or vinegar (or a little of both). Do not freeze it.
Make it a Meal
This easy Southwestern pasta salad can be a light meal on its own or if you mix in some chopped rotisserie chicken, grilled shrimp, or even Chili Lime Steak Bites. But of course, pasta salad is a classic side dish to serve with dinner or bring to a party!
- Dinner on the Grill: Serve this pasta salad whether you are grilling Cilantro Lime Chicken, steak, or Mexican Black Bean Quinoa Burgers.
- Mexican Meatless Monday: Have some vegetarian pasta salad with Mexican Pineapple Black Bean Stuffed Sweet Potatoes or Breakfast Tostadas.
- Taco Tuesday: A new side dish idea, whether you are making Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos or Instant Pot Beef Tacos.
- BBQ Dinner: The Southwestern flavors also pair well with Baked BBQ Chicken Breasts or Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork.
More Picnic Salads
Every picnic menu needs a good selection of salads. Here are some of my favorites.
Mexican Pasta Salad
Equipment
- Bowl
Ingredients
For the Pasta Salad
- 8 oz. uncooked rotini pasta or another short pasta, gluten free if needed
- 15 oz. can of black beans , drained and rinsed
- 1 cup corn from a can, thawed if frozen, or cut from the cob
- 1/2 cup halved grape tomatoes
- 1/4 cup minced red onion
- half of a red bell pepper , chopped
- minced cilantro for garnish , if desired
For the Dressing
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 3 Tablespoons salsa
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare 8 oz. uncooked rotini pasta according to the package directions, cooking slightly al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to chill the pasta. You can also put it in the refrigerator while preparing the other ingredients.
- Prepare the dressing by adding 1 cup plain Greek yogurt, 3 Tablespoons salsa, 3 Tablespoons olive oil, 3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 2 Tablespoons minced fresh cilantro, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper to a bowl. Stir together until smooth.
- Add the cooked and cooled pasta, 15 oz. can of black beans (drained and rinsed, 1 cup corn, 1/2 cup halved grape tomatoes, 1/4 cup minced red onion, and half of a red bell pepper, chopped, to a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the top and stir together to combine. Sprinkle with minced cilantro for garnish, if desired.
- Serve immediately or store covered in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
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Delish. So light. Flavor is not over done. My favorite pasta salad from now on.
Great pasta salad. Too much apple cider vinegar for me so will reduce that to 1 Tablespoon.
Delicious pasta recipe, a nice change from the regular pasta salads I have made. Will definitely make it again.
Absolutely delicious! I used half yogurt and half low-fat sour cream since it’s what we had on hand. I also soaked the red onions in water for a few minutes to help bring that bite down from the raw onion (just a preference thing for me).
It came out so creamy and just tasty! Thanks for a fantastic recipe!
Good pasta salad but 3T of apple cider vinegar is too much. Only needs 2 for my taste. I thought it was bland so I added extra salt & a chopped & seeded jalapeño. Then it was perfection. Imo