Best 7 Zesty Southwestern Pasta Salad Recipes

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Feel the flavors of the Southwest come alive in your kitchen with our guide to the zesty southwestern pasta salad. This delightful dish combines the vibrant flavors of the American Southwest with the convenience of a pasta salad, creating a culinary experience that will transport your taste buds to a fiesta of flavors. From the tangy bite of lime to the smoky warmth of chili powder, every ingredient in this recipe is carefully chosen to deliver a balanced and refreshing taste that will leave you craving more.

Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!

SOUTHWESTERN PASTA SALAD



Southwestern Pasta Salad image

I created this southwestern pasta salad for a friend who owns a catering business. I was told it was a hit at her events and it's now among the most-requested dishes. -Valonda Seward, Coarsegold, California

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Lunch

Time 30m

Yield 16 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 18

1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon salsa
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package (16 ounces) uncooked spiral or cavatappi pasta
1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cans (2-1/4 ounces each) sliced ripe olives, drained
1 small green pepper, finely chopped
1 small sweet red pepper, finely chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, divided
1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and sliced

Steps:

  • In a small bowl, whisk the first 8 ingredients until blended. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta; rinse with cold water., In a large bowl, mix pasta, corn, beans, tomatoes, olives, peppers, onion and 1/4 cup cilantro. Pour dressing over salad; toss to coat. Refrigerate until serving., Just before serving, top with avocado and the remaining cilantro.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 203 calories, Fat 6g fat (1g saturated fat), Cholesterol 0 cholesterol, Sodium 191mg sodium, Carbohydrate 32g carbohydrate (3g sugars, Fiber 4g fiber), Protein 6g protein. Diabetic Exchanges

ZESTY SOUTHWESTERN PASTA SALAD



Zesty Southwestern Pasta Salad image

This goes over well at potlucks - when there's a choice of more than one pasta salad, this one usually goes first. Oddly enough, the leftovers make good soup, too! I just add the leftovers to some vegetable broth and canned tomatoes, and season it with more of the same spices that were in the recipe. This recipe originally came from allrecipes.com, but I have tweaked it in a way that suits me better. As always I have cut back on the oil and lime juice, so add more back in if it suits you. I love the amount of chili powder and cumin in this, but it may be a bit much for some so use less if you don't like those flavors as much as I do.

Provided by Vino Girl

Categories     Pasta Shells

Time 2h30m

Yield 10 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 14

8 ounces small shell pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

Steps:

  • Prepare pasta according to package instructions.
  • When making pasta salad, I like to cook my pasta a minute or two less than recommended so it stays firmer in the dressing, and holds up better against breaking apart when tossing.
  • Drain and rinse under cold water.
  • In a large bowl whisk together oil, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, salt and garlic.
  • Gently stir in pasta and set aside.
  • Gently stir in corn, beans, green pepper, red pepper, onion, tomatoes and 1/2 of the cilantro leaves.
  • Garnish with the remaining cilantro.
  • Cover and chill at least 2 hours.

SOUTHWESTERN PASTA SALAD



Southwestern Pasta Salad image

Really popular at potlucks--make a double batch! Very easy and very delicious. Serve on a bed of lettuce for a nice touch.

Provided by Lisa Provost

Categories     Salad     100+ Pasta Salad Recipes     Vegetarian Pasta Salad Recipes

Time 30m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 13

½ (16 ounce) package rotini pasta
⅓ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons chili powder, or to taste
2 teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 ½ cups whole kernel corn
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup diced green bell pepper
½ cup diced red bell pepper
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 cup chopped roma (plum) tomatoes

Steps:

  • Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
  • In a large bowl combine oil, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, salt and garlic. Stir in pasta and set aside to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
  • Stir in corn, beans, green pepper, red pepper and 1/2 of the cilantro leaves. Spoon onto a platter and garnish with tomatoes and remaining cilantro. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 216.6 calories, Carbohydrate 27.2 g, Fat 10.3 g, Fiber 6.1 g, Protein 6.5 g, SaturatedFat 1.7 g, Sodium 468.3 mg, Sugar 2.4 g

SOUTHWESTERN PASTA SALAD



Southwestern Pasta Salad image

Looking for an easy pasta salad recipe? This Southwestern Pasta Salad from Delish.com is the best!

Categories     pasta salad     pasta     salad     cookouts     summer

Time 1h25m

Yield 10

Number Of Ingredients 19

For the Pasta Salad
kosher salt
1 lb. dry pasta, such as elbow, bow tie, or rotini
1 15-oz. can corn kernels
1 15-oz. can black beans
1 c. shredded Cheddar
1 c. halved cherry tomatoes
2 avocados, diced
1/3 c. Chopped cilantro
For The Dressing
1 c. Greek yogurt
1/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Limes, juiced
1/2 jalapeño, chopped
1 1/2 tbsp. Taco Seasoning
kosher salt

Steps:

  • In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and and cool, 5 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, make dressing: Whisk all ingredients together. Taste and add salt as desired.
  • Stir corn, black beans, cheese, tomatoes, avocados and cilantro in with pasta. Toss with dressing. Cover tightly and refrigerate 1 hour before serving.

SOUTHWESTERN RANCH PASTA SALAD



Southwestern Ranch Pasta Salad image

Whipping up a great pasta salad while the meat is grilling is easy with Suddenly Salad. Just toss in your favorite veggies, stir and voilà!

Provided by Betty Crocker Kitchens

Categories     Lunch

Time 20m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 box Betty Crocker™ Suddenly Salad® classic pasta salad mix
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup spicy ranch or regular ranch dressing
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 1/2 cups small broccoli florets
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
4 medium green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Tortilla chips, if desired

Steps:

  • Empty Pasta mix into 3-quart saucepan 2/3 full of boiling water. Gently boil uncovered 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, adding corn during last 2 minutes of cooking.
  • Drain pasta and corn; rinse with cold water. Shake to drain well.
  • Im medium bowl, stir together seasoning mix, dressing and lime juice. Stir in pasta with corn and remaining ingredients except tortilla chips. Serve salad with tortilla chips. Serve immediately, or refrigerate.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 270, Carbohydrate 34 g, Cholesterol 5 mg, Fat 2, Fiber 3 g, Protein 6 g, SaturatedFat 1 1/2 g, ServingSize 1 Serving, Sodium 840 mg, Sugar 6 g, TransFat 0 g

SPICY SOUTHWEST PASTA SALAD



Spicy Southwest Pasta Salad image

While browsing for a pasta salad recipe, I found Inez Willenborg's Homestyle Macaroni Salad. It sounded good, but I didn't have all the ingredients, so I improvised and came up with this one. We absolutely loved it. Thank you, Inez, for the recipe that was the inspiration for this winner.

Provided by PanNan

Categories     Southwestern U.S.

Time 20m

Yield 4 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 11

8 ounces bow tie pasta (or pasta of your choice)
2 hardboiled egg, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped fine
1/4 cup fresh salsa (homemade or the refrigerated variety sold in the produce section)
2 scallions, chopped
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup Miracle Whip (or mayonnaise)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Steps:

  • Cook pasta in salted boiling water until tender.
  • Drain pasta and rinse with cold water.
  • Combine all remaining ingredients in a large bowl.
  • Add pasta and stir until the pasta is coated.
  • Refrigerate at least an hour before serving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 306.5, Fat 8.1, SaturatedFat 2, Cholesterol 134.7, Sodium 586.1, Carbohydrate 46.2, Fiber 2.6, Sugar 4.5, Protein 12

ZESTY SOUTHWEST CORN SALAD



Zesty Southwest Corn Salad image

Easy and delicious, this salad is refreshing with your summer grilled dishes.

Provided by CookingQueen

Categories     Corn Salad

Time 20m

Yield 10

Number Of Ingredients 12

2 (16 ounce) packages frozen corn, thawed and drained
1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup diced green bell pepper
⅓ cup diced red onion
¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Steps:

  • Combine corn, tomatoes, bell pepper, and onion in a large bowl.
  • Whisk olive oil, cilantro, vinegar, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and cayenne together in a small bowl. Add dressing to corn mixture just before serving and toss well.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 139.5 calories, Carbohydrate 21.5 g, Fat 6.3 g, Fiber 2.8 g, Protein 3.2 g, SaturatedFat 0.9 g, Sodium 8.6 mg, Sugar 3.6 g

Tips:

  • For a vegetarian version of this salad, omit the chicken and add an extra cup of black beans or corn.
  • If you like spicy food, add a minced jalapeño pepper to the dressing.
  • This salad is a great make-ahead meal. Simply prepare the salad and dressing ahead of time and store them in separate containers in the refrigerator. When you're ready to serve, combine the salad and dressing and enjoy!
  • This salad is also a great way to use up leftover chicken. If you have some cooked chicken on hand, simply shred it and add it to the salad.
  • Be sure to use fresh, ripe vegetables for the best flavor.

Conclusion:

This Zesty Southwestern Pasta Salad is a delicious and refreshing salad that is perfect for a summer meal. It is packed with flavor and is sure to please everyone at your table. This salad can also serve as a main dish or a side dish.

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