Creamy Taco Pasta Salad
Perfect for lunch or dinner, this easy, Creamy Taco Pasta Salad recipe combines everything you love about tacos and pasta salad!
Meatless Mondays just got better with our vegetarian version of Creamy Taco Pasta Salad! Featuring all your favorite Mexican flavors like crisp corn, green onions, ripe red tomatoes, cilantro, fresh romaine lettuce, and ripe black olives tossed in a bed of chilled bow-tie pasta and bathed in a zippy taco-flavored dressing – si, por favor!
A Pasta Salad for Every Reason!
Hearty, healthy, Creamy Taco Pasta Salad is one of the best recipes to have on hand! It’s perfect for a light lunch, a nutritious dinner, or even as a phenomenal side dish for potlucks, backyard barbecues, taco Tuesdays, or family reunions! It’s super simple to make, only takes a few minutes to toss together a big bowlful, and it’s incredibly versatile!
For example, the cilantro is optional. Swap out the cheddar cheese for mild Monterey Jack or pungent goat cheese – or eliminate the cheese altogether. Spice it up with some fresh, diced jalapeno. Add sliced avocado to up the creamy factor. Or, make it super hearty by adding in ground beef, turkey, shrimp or even a shredded rotisserie chicken. The sky’s the limit!
Other Recipes to Serve with Taco Salad
- Mexican Sunset is a tequila cocktail that makes you feel like you’re on vacation!
- Mexican Brownies with a hint of spices like cayenne and cinnamon that make every bite so rich!
Ingredients
Pasta: This recipe uses bow tie pasta, but your favorite bite-sized pasta shape will work just fine!
Veggies: This taco salad is loaded with Tex-Mex favorites like romaine lettuce, grape tomatoes, Mexicorn (corn + bell peppers), and black olives. You could also add red onion, diced jalapeno, avocado, or any other veggies you like with tacos!
Cheese: We’re using shredded cheddar cheese in this pasta salad because it brings so much flavor!
Dressing: This easy, delicious dressing needs mayonnaise, sour cream, a can of Rotel tomatoes (don’t drain), and taco seasoning for Mexican flavor! I like to add in some fresh cilantro too, but it’s totally optional.
How to Make Creamy Taco Pasta Salad
STEP ONE: Cook the pasta according to the box direction until it’s al dente. Then, drain the water and rinse the pasta under cold water. Toss the chilled pasta with all the veggies and cheese in a large salad bowl.
STEP TWO: In a small mixing bowl, combine the mayo, sour cream, Rotel tomatoes with the juices, taco seasoning, and chopped cilantro. Mix until creamy.
STEP THREE: Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well to combine.
STEP FOUR: Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to unify. You’re going to love this!
Tips for Success
- The pasta can be cooked ahead of time to save on prep later. Once the pasta is rinsed, place it in a bowl and toss it with a tablespoon of olive oil. This will prevent the pasta from sticking together. Cover the bowl and chill for up to 1 day.
- Garnish with tortilla strips or crumbled Nacho Cheese Doritos for a fabulous crunch!
- Allow the pasta salad to chill for at least 1 hour ahead of time for the best flavor. This will let the dressing permeate the pasta, and the flavors will have a chance to meld together.
- Any bite-size pasta shape can be used in place of the bowtie (AKA farfalle) pasta. Think rotini, penne, elbow macaroni, or shells.
- Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for 3 days in an airtight container.
Is It Important to Rinse Pasta?
Not always, but it is for a chilled pasta salad. Rinsing the pasta in cool water goes a long way to making your pasta salad’s texture exactly right! In fact, rinsing the pasta as soon as it reaches “al dente” halts the cooking process, which does two things: 1) It prevents the pasta from overcooking and turning to mush, and 2) it keeps the pasta firm so it won’t soak up too much of the dressing and get soggy.
Can You Make Taco Pasta Salad Ahead of Time?
Not only CAN you make Creamy Taco Pasta Salad ahead of time, but it’s actually BETTER if you do! Once you toss the salad in the dressing, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. This gives the flavors a chance to meld, making each bite uniformly delicious! If you’re adding a crispy topping, add it to the salad just before serving.
Other Scrumptious Summer Pasta Salads
- Greek Pasta Salad
- Italian Pasta Salad
- Easy BLT Pasta Salad
- Pesto Pasta Salad
- Caprese Pasta Salad
- Spinach Artichoke Pasta Salad
*This post originally posted on 07/08/2015.
Creamy Taco Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 8 ounces bow tie pasta
- 3 cups romaine lettuce chopped
- 11 ounces Mexicorn drained
- 1 cup grape tomatoes halved
- 1 cup canned sliced black olives drained
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 3 green onions chopped
Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning (1 packet)
- 10 ounces Rotel tomatoes (do not drain)
- 1 handful fresh cilantro chopped (optional)
Garnish
- Fresh cilantro
- Fresh Jalapeno sliced
- Sour cream
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions until it's al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water until cooled.
- Add the cooked pasta, lettuce, Mexicorn, tomatoes, olives, cheddar cheese, and green onions in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, mix the mayo, sour cream, taco seasoning, Rotel tomatoes with the juices from the can, and chopped cilantro until combined.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and gently mix until evenly coated.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour to allow flavors to blend. Uncover and serve.
Creamy, delish!
This is a delicious salad. Whenever I take it to a summer party at least one person requests the recipe! I usually drain and rinse black beans and add to the salad. Thanks!
I love when a recipe is popular at a gathering, makes me feel so good! I’m glad it works out so nicely for you.
This sounds wonderful! I’m starting to compile recipes and ideas to make dinners less “stressful” when the weather finally gets nice and I’m splitting time between 2 houses, my large gardens, and my work! Thank you for coming up with such a great recipe!
Can’t wait for you to try it! Thank you.
Can I substitute fresh chopped Roma tomatoes for the canned Rotel tomatoes?
I don’t see why not!
Can this be made the night before or will it be too soggy? I am making this for my son’s preschool family picnic tomorrow afternoon. Unfortunately, I have a memorial service for his grandma tomorrow morning.
You could make it ahead of time and add everything except the lettuce. Add that before serving. That might work!
Ooo this looks so creamy and delicious! I must give this a try! Pinning!! 🙂
I would like your receipes.
You can sign up to get our recipes by email using the “subscribe by email” button at the top right of the site. 🙂
This sounds really delicious and something new to try. Thank you for sharing this.
Simon
This creamy taco salad looks wonderful, can’t wait to try it. I make a taco fiesta salad that we love, this is another twist.