Cowboy Pasta Salad - The Keep At House Chef

This is without doubt one of the most filling pasta salads on the market! It’s filled with meat, cheese, beans, and greens. Carry to a BBQ or make as a fast and simple dinner at house and we promise there received’t be any complaints about leaving hungry!

In the event you love this recipe, you’ll love our “cowboy caviar” Black Bean and Corn Salad.

Why Our Recipe

Loaded with all the great 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 convey 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 permits you to actually mess around with the warmth degree, so in case you prefer it scorching, make sure that to make use of medium to scorching 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 brief pasta like fusilli or penne.
Floor Beef: We like utilizing 80/20 beef for the perfect taste. Floor turkey or rooster works too if you need it a little bit lighter.
Cheddar Cheese: Sharp cheddar brings a little bit additional punch, however truthfully, any cheese you’re keen on will work. Pepper jack can be superior if you need 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 appears actually fairly too.
Black Beans: Give them rinse and drain to maintain issues from getting soggy.
Canned Corn: Completely positive to make use of straight from the can, however you can too use uncooked contemporary corn or frozen corn.
Purple Onion: Purple onions are the perfect for consuming uncooked.
Jalapeño: Completely elective! Contemporary 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 degree you want.
Lime Juice: Contemporary-squeezed is at all times going to have the perfect taste, however bottled lime juice works too.

Alter the Warmth

Probably the greatest issues about cowboy pasta is how straightforward it’s to tweak the spice. In the event you’re into warmth, seize a scorching salsa verde, bump up the chili powder, and toss just a few additional jalapeño slices on prime. Not a fan of spicy? Keep on with delicate salsa and skip the chili powder and jalapeños. Straightforward!

Closeup image of Cowboy Pasta Salad with dressing drizzled over it.

Make-Forward Directions

This salad’s tremendous straightforward to make forward. You possibly can 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 preserve them separate so all the things stays contemporary. If you’re able to eat, all you’ve obtained to do is chop the cheese and tomatoes and toss all of it collectively in a giant bowl. Achieved and completed.