Go Back

Mexican Pasta Salad

Mexican pasta salad with a creamy cilantro-lime dressing and a colorful mix of black beans, corn, peppers, and cherry tomatoes. Rotini pasta is cooked, rinsed cold, then tossed with the dressing and chilled until it’s flavorful and sliceable for a Tex-Mex-style fiesta salad.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican-American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb rotini or shells pasta
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup corn kernels
  • 1 red bell pepper diced
  • 1 green bell pepper diced
  • 0.5 cup red onion diced
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
  • 0.5 cup mayonnaise
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 0.25 cup lime juice
  • 2 tsp taco seasoning
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
  • 0.25 cup cilantro chopped
  • 0.25 salt and pepper to taste

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta
  1. Cook rotini or shells pasta according to package directions until tender, then drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking and keep it from getting sticky.
Make the cilantro-lime dressing
  1. Whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, taco seasoning, cumin, salt, and pepper until smooth and fully combined, with no streaks of unmixed seasoning.
Assemble and chill
  1. Combine pasta, black beans, corn kernels, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and cheddar cheese in a large bowl until evenly distributed.
  2. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until every piece of pasta and every bean-and-corn bite looks lightly coated.
  3. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours so the flavors meld and the salad thickens slightly as it chills.
  4. Top with chopped cilantro before serving for a fresh green finish and brighter aroma.

Notes

For the best texture, rinse the cooked pasta under cold water and drain well before mixing. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; it’s best after chilling overnight. Freezing isn’t recommended because the creamy dressing can separate. For a lighter option, use Greek yogurt in place of some or all of the sour cream and mayonnaise to keep the tang while reducing fat.