My family loves pasta.
Let me state that once again. My family LOVES pasta. 😀 Especially my babies, so this Grammy makes a lot of it. I especially love it during the Summer months when we grill. Let’s face it – pasta salad is a fabulous accompaniment to almost any grilled meat. Sometimes I will create a pasta salad from the leftover grilled meats and veggies, too. We love this Mexican Style Pasta Salad because it is versatile and I can add any number of ingredients to it, as well as adjust the heat level. I think you will love this!
Mexican Style Pasta Salad
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Last week I shared some tips for Perfectly Juicy Grilled Chicken. It’s very hard to grill chicken breasts and have them retain any moisture, but you can with my secret Southern tip. But, man can not live on grilled chicken alone can he? No, no, no. You need sides.
Yummy and easy to prepare sides which perfectly compliment the main dish. This pasta recipe combines the best of both worlds – a great pasta with Mexican flavors. And it could not be easier to prepare. I will often use a prepared salad dressing and add some spunk to it, like a few tablespoons of jalapeno juice to a zesty Italian and a dash of ground cumin.
The key to this side dish are the ingredients you add to the pasta. I like to add black beans and corn and green onions. You can even add chunks of fresh avocado if you like. I kept it pretty simple this time – a good olive oil, some apple cider vinegar, lime and jalapeno juice and cumin. That’s it. No need to make things complicated.
After all, it’s Summertime. You don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen when you can be outside on the deck enjoying the fresh air and sunshine. Here is my easy, printable recipe:
- (1) Box Spiral Pasta (or any shape)
- 1/2 Purple Onions, slices thinly
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 can whole kernel corn, drained
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped *(optional)
- 1 Cup Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- Fresh Lime Juice (about 4 Tbs)
- 1 Tbs ground cumin
- salt and pepper
- *(optional) 1 Tbs Jalapeno Juice (from jarred jalapenos)
- Cook pasta and drain. While pasta is cooking, mix together all the ingredients for the dressing. Toss in corn, beans, tomato halves, sliced onions and cilantro. Pour in dressing and mix well.
- * You can create a creamier version by adding 1/2 cup sour cream.
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It has been so darn hot here lately that the thought of heating up the kitchen is nauseating. : ) Pasta cooks really quickly, and I don’t have to stand over the stove to watch it, so BONUS! This looks like a great main entree as well, at least it would be for me. I suppose you could even add some cold meat to it and mix it in if you wanted more protein. Thanks for a good idea!
View CommentSmithfield makes some great ham pieces that I love to throw in, or like I said grill up some chicken or shrimp. You could even throw in some leftover rotisserie chicken you get from the market. We love cold pasta this time of year. Enjoy!
View CommentSalad looks great!
View CommentThanks hope you get to fix it.
View CommentLooks great! So many ways to change this salad up too based on what you have in the fridge! Love it!
View CommentYes! It could be called “Clean Out Your Fridge” Pasta. 😀
View CommentYyum – this would be perfect here in Texas – 93 degrees today!
View CommentI love pasta salads! This one is a fun “twist” pun intended! Going to try it!
View CommentBarb – as usual, another yummy dish. Making some tonight!
View CommentOh my Yum! this looks sooo good. I can’t wait to make it. We all love mexican food and this looks perfect for summer. Pasta salad and taco pie sounds like dinner.
View CommentOhhhh yes that does sound good. I LOVE a Taco pie, too. Hope you enjoy it. Barb
View CommentI bet this is always a hit. I love pasta salad all year, but it is on repeat during summer!
View CommentMy family loves the traditional pasta salad so it is always nice to find something new to do with the pasta. You always have some new
View Commentideas for me to discover and add to my recipe file. robeader53(at)yahoo(dot)com