Santa Fe Pasta Salad
Bursting with Southwest-inspired flavors, Santa Fe Pasta Salad is a vibrant and crowd-pleasing dish perfect for potlucks, picnics, or easy weeknight dinners. Featuring tender rotini pasta tossed with black beans, sweet corn, crisp bell peppers, juicy cherry tomatoes, and a hint of heat from fresh jalapeño, this salad is both hearty and refreshing. The creamy dressing, made with a zesty blend of Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, lime juice, and smoky chipotle in adobo sauce, ties all the bold flavors together. Add the finishing touch with buttery diced avocado and fresh cilantro for an irresistible, colorful salad that’s as visually appealing as it is delicious. Ready in just 30 minutes (plus chilling time), this make-ahead pasta salad is a must-try for fans of Tex-Mex-inspired recipes.
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Recipe Information
Ingredients
- 12 ounces rotini pasta
- 1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup corn kernels (fresh, frozen, or canned)
- 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
- 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
- 0.5 medium red onion, finely chopped
- 1.5 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 0.25 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 small jalapeño, seeded and minced
- 1 large avocado, diced
- 0.5 cup mayonnaise
- 0.25 cup Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 teaspoon chipotle in adobo sauce, minced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 0.5 teaspoon ground cumin
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 0.25 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Cook the rotini pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the black beans, corn, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, red onion, cherry tomatoes, cilantro, and jalapeño.
In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, lime juice, chipotle in adobo sauce, garlic, ground cumin, salt, and black pepper to create the dressing.
Add the cooled pasta to the bowl of vegetables and beans. Toss to combine.
Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and mix well until everything is evenly coated.
Gently fold in the diced avocado just before serving to maintain its texture and freshness.
Chill the salad in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
Serve the Santa Fe Pasta Salad cold, garnished with additional cilantro if desired.
Nutrition Facts
Calories |
368 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
% Daily Value* |
|||
| Total Fat | 21.4 g | 27% | |
| Saturated Fat | 3.2 g | 16% | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.0 g | ||
| Cholesterol | 8 mg | 3% | |
| Sodium | 317 mg | 14% | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 38.7 g | 14% | |
| Dietary Fiber | 8.4 g | 30% | |
| Total Sugars | 6.9 g | ||
| Protein | 9.2 g | 18% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.0 mcg | 0% | |
| Calcium | 52 mg | 4% | |
| Iron | 2.0 mg | 11% | |
| Potassium | 685 mg | 15% | |
*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
