This Southwest Pasta Salad with Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing is a delicious meatless meal that is just as perfect at summer BBQs as it is enjoyed throughout the colder months of fall and winter. It can be made in 30-minutes and is just as delicious when made in advance and enjoyed the following day.
What ingredients do you need for Southwest Pasta Salad?
- Pasta - I've chosen to use penne for this pasta salad, but you are welcome to substitute for whichever type of pasta you prefer, including gluten-free if needed.
- Roasted red bell peppers - These are super easy to find pre-sliced making them easy to drain and just toss right in without any slicing. If you prefer, you can also use fresh crisp sliced red pepper or roast and slice your own.
- Black beans - I love the ease of using canned black beans, but you can pre-cook dried beans if you prefer. I think this pasta salad would also be lovely with kidney beans, white beans, or garbanzo beans if you need to make a switch.
- Corn - I used this fire-roasted frozen corn in this recipe, but it's also super tasty with fresh grilled corn when it's in season!
- Tomatoes - Halved cherry tomatoes are my go-to.
- Kale - I love to use tender massaged Lacinato kale (also called Italian kale or dinosaur kale) in this recipe, but traditional curly kale is also great in a pinch.
- Cotija cheese - this Mexica cow's milk cheese is deliciously salty and milky in flavor. It crumbles similarly to feta cheese but is a little milder. If you can't source Cotija, feta is a good substitute for this pasta salad.
- Red onion - These are totally optional for those who are onion-intolerant, but add a nice peppery bite that pairs well with the creaminess of this pasta salad.
- Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing - See below
How to make Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing
This dressing is perfectly rich and creamy and is just as delicious tossed in this southwest pasta salad as it is paired with fresh veggies as a dip. You'll need a food processor or a good blender to make this dressing.
Ingredients:
- Avocado, pitted and peeled
- Mayonnaise
- Greek yogurt (may sub for sour cream)
- Garlic-infused olive oil (may sub for olive oil + garlic cloves)
- Lime juice and zest
- Cilantro
- Green onion, roughly chopped
- Ground cumin
- Kosher salt
- Cracked black pepper
- Red pepper flakes
Instructions:
- In a food processor (or good blender), add the avocado, mayonnaise, Greek yogurt (or sour cream), garlic-infused olive oil (or olive oil + garlic cloves), lime juice and zest, cilantro, green onion, cumin, Kosher salt, cracked black pepper, and red pepper flakes.
- Blend until creamy and smooth.
What type of pasta is best for pasta salad?
I prefer a hearty tube pasta for this Southwest Pasta Salad as I love to be able to spear stacks of tomatoes, kale, and peppers at the same time as the pasta, so my go-to pasta shapes are penne, rigatoni, or ziti. However, this pasta salad recipe is equally fantastic with a short pasta shape such as farfalle (bow-tie), fusilli (corkscrew), or cavatappi (double-elbow), or smaller pasta that holds on to the sauce, corn, and beans well such as orecchiette or conchiglie (shells). If you are gluten-free, this dish can easily be made with a gluten-free pasta of your choosing — this is one of my favorite gluten-free penne options.
Can I make this pasta salad recipe in advance?
Yes, you can absolutely make this Southwest Pasta Salad recipe in advance. In fact, I know many who prefer pasta salad after it's had a chance to marry its saucy flavors together in the fridge for a day or two. I personally think this recipe is best when enjoyed within the first three days or so.
What tools do I need to make this recipe?
- A cutting board
- A chef’s knife
- A food processor or high-powered blender
- A kitchen scale (or measuring cups for less precise measurements)
- Measuring spoons
- A large pot or Dutch oven
- A wooden spoon - OR - silicone pasta spoon
- A colander
- A large bowl (to toss the pasta salad in)
- A citrus zester
- A citrus juicer (optional, but nice to have)
- A silicone spatula
Are you looking to upgrade to your cooking tools or replenish your pantry? Check out my kitchen tools shop page and pantry staples shop page to find my must-have kitchen tools, pantry items, and other Whip & Wander favorites.
Looking for more dinner inspiration?
Love this Southwest Pasta Salad? Her are some more of my favorite dinner recipes that you might enjoy:
- Smoked Salmon Pasta Salad
- Gorgonzola Pasta with Brown Butter and Lemon
- Pasta with Olive Tapenade
- Tahini Noodle Bowls with Crispy Tofu and Vegetables
Southwest Pasta Salad
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Mains
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Southwest Pasta Salad with Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing is a delicious meatless meal that is just as perfect at summer BBQs as it is enjoyed throughout the colder months of fall and winter. It can be made in 30-minutes and is just as delicious when made in advance and enjoyed the following day.
Ingredients
Avocado Lime Ranch:
- 150 g (about ¾ cup) avocado, pitted and peeled
- 84 g (6 tbsp) mayonnaise
- 113 g (½ cup) Greek yogurt (may sub for sour cream)
- 2 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil (may sub for 2 tbsp olive oil + 2 cloves fresh garlic)
- 2 tbsp lime juice (from about 1 large or 2 small limes)
- 1 tsp lime zest (from about 1 large or 2 small limes)
- ½ oz (about ¼ cup tightly packed) cilantro
- ½ oz (about ¼ cup tightly packed) green onions
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp Kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ½ tsp cracked black pepper
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
For the rest of the pasta salad:
- 16 oz penne pasta (or your preferred pasta, gluten-free if needed)
- 3 oz (about one average bundle) Lacinato kale, destemmed and chopped
- 2 tsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp Kosher salt
- 4 oz (about 2 peppers) roasted red bell peppers, drained and sliced
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 128 g (¾ cup) fire-roasted frozen corn, defrosted (may sub for fresh grilled)
- 6 oz (1 cup) cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3 oz (about ½ cup) Cotija cheese, crumbled
- Optional: 40 g (about 4 slices) red onion, thinly sliced
Instructions
For the avocado lime ranch dressing:
- In a food processor (or good blender), add the avocado, mayonnaise, Greek yogurt (or sour cream), garlic-infused olive oil (or olive oil + garlic cloves), lime juice and zest, cilantro, green onion, cumin, Kosher salt, cracked black pepper, and red pepper flakes.
- Blend until creamy and smooth. Taste for salt and adjust if needed. Reserve to the side.
For the rest of the pasta salad.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil over medium-high heat with a generous pinch of salt. Cook pasta to al dente, according to package directions (generally about 8-10 minutes). Once the pasta is cooked, drain the pasta in a colander and give it a good rinse under cold water to remove excess starch and help cool the pasta down quicker. Reserve drained pasta to the side to finish .
- While the pasta cooks, tenderize the kale. In the large bowl you plan to mix the pasta salad in, add the chopped kale, olive oil, and Kosher salt. Massage by hand (kneading and gently squeezing the kale) for about 2 minutes. The kale should shrink in volume substantially as it tenderizes and the leaves will darken. Reserve to the side until you're ready to assemble the pasta salad.
- Once the cooked pasta has cooled, add it to the bowl along with the kale, the roasted red bell peppers, black beans, corn, tomatoes, red onion.
- When adding the avocado lime ranch dressing, I suggest starting out by adding about ¾ of the batch and gently tossing to combine fully before adding the rest. This allows you to have more control over how saucy you prefer your pasta salad to be. If you'd like it to be saucier, add the rest. If you prefer a less saucy pasta salad, the leftover dressing is wonderful tossed in other salads or used as a dip for fresh veggies.
- Add the Cotija cheese crumbles last and toss gently to combine.
- Serve this pasta salad immediately or chill overnight to allow the flavors to marry. I personally think this recipe is best when enjoyed within the first three days or so.
Notes
Nutritional information on Whip & Wander is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 443
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 439 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 58 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Cholesterol: 6 mg
Keywords: pasta, pasta salad, red bell pepper, black beans, cotija, kale, corn, avocado, lime
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