Description
This southwest pasta salad is made with fresh vegetables, rotini pasta, and a creamy, smoky chipotle ranch dressing. It’s perfect for summer potlucks, BBQs, or poolside lunches.
Ingredients
- 16 oz rotini pasta
- 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 ears of corn, cut from the cob
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- ½ red onion, chopped
- 10 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- For the Chipotle Ranch Dressing:
- 8 oz sour cream
- ¾ cup mayo
- 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dill
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ tablespoons lime juice
Instructions
1. Make the chipotle ranch dressing by combining sour cream, mayo, chipotle peppers, garlic powder, onion powder, dill, salt, and lime juice in a blender or food processor until smooth.
2. Cook the rotini pasta to al dente according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool.
3. Add the drained black beans, corn, chopped bell pepper, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and cilantro to a large mixing bowl.
4. Once the pasta is cool and mostly dry, add it to the bowl with the veggies.
5. Pour in 1 ¼ cups of the prepared chipotle ranch dressing and stir well to combine.
6. Chill the pasta salad in the refrigerator for at least one hour before serving.
7. Store any leftover dressing in an airtight container in the fridge. Optionally stir more into the salad before serving to refresh creaminess.
Notes
You’ll have about ½ cup of chipotle ranch dressing left — great for adding before serving or saving as a dip.
To reduce spice, use only 1–2 chipotle peppers and adjust to taste.
This salad keeps well in the fridge and can be made ahead of time.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 347
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 152mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0.03g
- Carbohydrates: 44g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 10g
- Cholesterol: 17mg