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Mexican Taco Pasta Salad

Mexican taco pasta salad with taco-seasoned beef, shredded cheddar, and crunchy all-taco toppings tossed in a creamy ranch-salsa dressing. Chilled for a couple hours so the flavors meld while the pasta stays lightly springy and the toppings stay bright.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mexican-American
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta salad base
  • 1 lb pasta shells
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 packet taco seasoning
  • 2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup corn kernels
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained
  • 0.5 cup red onion, diced
Creamy taco dressing
  • 1 cup ranch dressing
  • 0.25 cup salsa
Crunch and toppings
  • 2 cup Doritos, crushed
  • 1 lettuce
  • 1 sour cream
  • 1 cilantro

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 large pot
  • 1 skillet

Method
 

Cook pasta
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then cook the pasta shells according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water until cool to the touch, then shake off excess water.
Brown taco beef
  1. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and brown the ground beef until no longer pink. Add taco seasoning and cook according to the package directions, then remove from heat.
Make dressing
  1. In a bowl, mix ranch dressing with salsa until evenly combined and lightly blended in color. Set aside.
Assemble salad
  1. In a large bowl, combine pasta, ground beef, cheddar cheese, cherry tomatoes, corn, black beans, and red onion. Toss gently so everything is evenly distributed.
Coat and chill
  1. Pour the ranch-salsa dressing over the salad and toss to coat thoroughly. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to let flavors meld.
Finish and serve
  1. Top the chilled salad with crushed Doritos, lettuce, sour cream, and cilantro right before serving. Serve immediately so the Doritos stay crisp.

Notes

For best texture, rinse pasta cool and drain well so the salad doesn’t get watery after chilling. Refrigerate in a covered container up to 3 days; freeze not recommended because Doritos and lettuce lose crunch. If you want a lighter option, use Greek-yogurt ranch or reduced-fat ranch for the dressing while keeping the taco seasoning and toppings the same.