This creamy taco pasta salad is full of hearty black beans, sweet corn, avocado, and of course Cotija cheese! This recipe comes together quickly and is absolutely delicious!
Why You’ll Love This Creamy Taco Pasta Salad
- Packed with flavor – this pasta salad is full of fresh garlic, chopped cilantro, green onion, and of course salty cotija cheese for the best flavor.
- The best creamy dressing – ok, the star of every pasta salad is really the dressing! This delicious taco pasta salad has the best creamy Greek yogurt dressing made with plenty of spices and fresh lime juice.
- So easy to make and customize – you’ll love how quickly this pasta salad comes together and how easy it is to customize!
Pasta Salad Recipe Ingredients
Pasta: any type of pasta will really work in this recipe so feel free to use your favorite. I always choose a pasta that has plenty of nooks and crannies like farfalle or fusilli so that the dressing has something to really stick to!
Black Beans: to make this pasta salad nice and hearty (and to add some extra protein!) we’re adding some black beans to the mix.
Cherry Tomatoes: I love going with multicolored tomatoes for extra pops of color.
Sweet Corn: delicious sweet corn is the perfect addition to this salad! If you can’t find fresh you can grab frozen. Just defrost it before using.
Cilantro & Green Onion: plenty of chopped cilantro and green onion give this pasta salad some great flavor.
Avocado: we’re adding some creamy diced avocado for extra healthy fats.
Cotija Cheese: if you’ve never had cotija then you’re seriously missing out. It’s absolutely delicious! You can usually find cotija in the speciality cheese area of your local grocery store.
Greek Yogurt: the base of the creamy dressing is plain whole milk Greek yogurt.
Lime Juice: fresh lime juice adds some brightness to the dressing. Feel free to throw in some lime zest if you like!
Garlic: go with freshly minced garlic for the best flavor if you have time!
Spices: you’ll need a combination of cumin, paprika, and chili powder.
Ingredients Swaps and FAQs
- pasta – need to use gluten free pasta? go for it and grab your favorite brand to use for this pasta salad.
- cheese – if you can’t find Cotija I recommend swapping it for crumbled feta instead. You can leave out the cheese altogether or grab your favorite vegan alternative if you prefer.Â
- greek yogurt – you can swap the whole milk Greek yogurt for sour cream if you prefer. You can use your favorite dairy free greek yogurt alternative if you need to keep things dairy free.Â
How to Make This Taco Pasta Salad Recipe
Step One: Cook the dry pasta according to the package instructions. Once al dente, drain and rinse the pasta with cold water.
Step Two: Add the pasta, black beans, cherry tomatoes, sweet corn, cilantro, sliced green onion, avocado, and cotija to a large mixing bowl.
Step Three: Next, make the dressing. Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients until well combined.
Step Four: Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and stir until well combined.
Step Five: Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
All My Favorite Pasta Salad Tips and Tricks
- Don’t over cook your pasta. Cook the pasta al dente so that it still has a bit of bite.
- Add the avocado right before serving to ensure that it’s that beautiful bright green.
- Drain and rinse the pasta under cool water to remove any excess starch before adding it to your mixing bowl.
- Salt your water while cooking the pasta to ensure that it has plenty of flavor.
- Don’t skip the fresh garlic when making the dressing. It really does make a difference in the flavor.
- Feel free to get creative and add other veggies you love. Chopped bell peppers would be a delicious addition in this pasta salad!
How to Store
Store this pasta salad in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
What to Serve with Pasta Salad
I love to pair this taco pasta salad with a protein, like chicken, fish, or beef to make a heartier meal. This is also a great side dish to take to your next potluck or barbecue. If you need to make a bigger batch to feed more people, just double the recipe!
Here are a few of my favorite recipes to pair with this pasta salad:
- cilantro lime chicken thighs
- slow cooker chicken tacos
- ground beef tacos
- sheet pan steak fajitas
- shrimp tacos with chipotle cabbage slaw
- sheet pan chicken fajitas
- roasted chipotle cauliflower tacos
More Delicious Salad Recipes
- Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
- Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Pesto Orzo Pasta Salad
- Black Bean and Corn Salad
- Avocado Corn Salad
- Greek Pasta Salad
- Southwest Chicken Taco Salad
- Chipotle Potato Salad
- Pesto Pasta Salad
- BLT Pasta Salad
- Greek Broccoli Pasta Salad
- Italian Pasta Salad
Get all of our reader favorite salads, here!
I hope you give this Taco Pasta Salad a try! It has the best flavor, a creamy dressing, and is so easy to make! If you do give this recipe a try, I want to know!Â
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Print
Taco Pasta Salad
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Sides
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican-Inspired
- Diet: Vegetarian
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Sides
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican-Inspired
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry pasta
- 1 – 15oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup fresh sweet corn
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion
- 1 large haas avocado, diced
- 1/4 cup crumbled cotija cheese
Dressing
- 1/2 cup whole milk Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced or pressed
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1–2 tablespoons water to thin
Method
- Cook the dry pasta according to the package instructions. Once al dente, drain and rinse the pasta with cold water.
- Add the pasta, black beans, cherry tomatoes, sweet corn, cilantro, sliced green onion, avocado, and cotija to a large mixing bowl.
- Next, make the dressing. Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients until well combined.
- Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and stir until well combined.
- Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Recipe by:Â Ashlea Carver / All the Healthy Things |Â Photography by:Â THE MINDFUL HAPA
