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Taco Pasta Salad

🌮🍅🥑 EASY, ready in 20 minutes, and loaded with great Mexican-inspired ingredients including corn, black beans, tomatoes, cilantro, avocado, and more! Serve it as a hearty side or as a stand alone lighter meal. Perfect for picnics, parties, and potlucks because this is a guaranteed family FAVORITE!

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
20 mins
Servings: 8
Calories: 477 kcal
Course: Side Dish , Salad
Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

Salad
  • ¾ pound pasta cooked according to package directions (small shells, rotini, bowtie, etc.)
  • one 15-ounce can black beans drained and rinsed (I used no-salt added)
  • 2 cups Mexican shredded cheese blend
  • about 1 1/2 cups sliced cherry or grape tomatoes
  • 1 ½ cups corn fresh or frozen
  • ½ cup green onions sliced into thin rounds
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro finely minced
  • 1 or 2 medium/large Hass avocados peeled and diced small
Dressing
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • ⅓ cup Santa Cruz Organic Lime Juice®
  • ¼ to ⅓ cup honey or agave
  • 3 tablespoons taco seasoning (I use reduced-salt, medium heat)
  • 1 or 2 cloves garlic minced or finely pressed
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste
For Serving
  • Santa Cruz Organic® Lemonades

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a very large bowl.
  2. Add the black beans, cheese (note – if you don’t want the cheese to melt, make sure the pasta has cooled before adding the cheese), tomatoes, corn, green onions, cilantro, and stir to combine.
  3. Add the avocado and stir gently to combine.
  4. To a medium bowl, add the olive oil, lime juice, honey, taco seasoning, garlic, salt, pepper, and whisk to combine.
  5. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the pasta bowl, stir well to combine, taste, and check for seasoning balance. Add more salt, pepper, lime juice, honey, cilantro, etc. if desired.
  6. Serve with Santa Cruz Organic beverages.

Notes

  • Storage: Pasta salad will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 4 days, noting the avocado will oxidize as time passes.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 Calories 477kcal (24%) Carbohydrates 55g (18%) Protein 16g (32%) Fat 23g (35%) Saturated Fat 7g (35%) Polyunsaturated Fat 15g Cholesterol 27mg (9%) Sodium 781mg (33%) Fiber 10g (40%) Sugar 16g (32%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 477

% Daily Value*

Serving 1
Calories 477kcal 24%
Carbohydrates 55g 18%
Protein 16g 32%
Fat 23g 35%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Polyunsaturated Fat 15g 88%
Cholesterol 27mg 9%
Sodium 781mg 33%
Fiber 10g 40%
Sugar 16g 32%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.