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!

taco pasta salad ingredients

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.

dressing ingredients

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. 
  • 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. 

pasta salad ingredients in bowl

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.

taco pasta salad dressing

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:

taco pasta salad in bowls

More Delicious Salad Recipes

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! 

Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @allthehealthythings on INSTAGRAM. Your reviews help support All the Healthy Things and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you know and love.

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taco pasta salad in bowl

Taco Pasta Salad

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 10 reviews
  • Author: Ashlea Carver
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x
  • Category: Sides
  • Method: stovetop
  • Cuisine: Mexican-Inspired
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

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!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups dry pasta
  • 115oz 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
  • 12 tablespoons water to thin

Instructions

  1. Cook the dry pasta according to the package instructions. Once al dente, drain and rinse the pasta with cold water.
  2. Add the pasta, black beans, cherry tomatoes, sweet corn, cilantro, sliced green onion, avocado, and cotija to a large mixing bowl.
  3. Next, make the dressing. Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients until well combined.
  4. Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and stir until well combined.
  5. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Recipe by: Ashlea Carver / All the Healthy Things | Photography by: THE MINDFUL HAPA

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13 Comments

  1. I love this! I added ground beef. SO Good!






    1. Ashlea Carver says:

      so happy you loved it, Kalen!

  2. Prepped this for lunches last week and it did not disappoint! Delicious & filling. Will definitely be making this often.






  3. Delicious! I added bell peppers and cilantro. What a great protein rich meal that doesn’t have to include meat. I used Aldi’s quinoa and brown rice pasta.






  4. Christine says:

    This was SO GOOD. It was easy to prepare and didn’t use much heat, making it the perfect dinner during a recent heatwave. We added some ground turkey because we happened to have it, and it worked really well as a main course. It tastes even better the next day as leftovers.






  5. LeaAnn Tipton says:

    Delicious!!! So flavorful! Can’t wait to have it for leftovers tomorrow!!






  6. It was easy to make and so delicious!






  7. This was a hit in my family! My husband suggested adding tortilla chips which was delicious. I will definitely be adding this to the rotation






  8. Tried this salad for the first time this weekend and it is so tasty, filling yet refreshing. Very easy to make. I will definitely add this to our rotation of sides to pair with meals. Although, I eat it alone as my main dish!






    1. Ashlea Carver says:

      so glad you loved it, April!

  9. Casey Colodny says:

    OMG this salad was amazing!! Leftovers were the perfect WFH lunch and everything still tasted fresh, crunchy and delicious!






  10. Delicious favor without being too heavy, just perfect for a summer dinner or creative side. My family really enjoyed this!






    1. Ashlea Carver says:

      I’m so glad! thank you for taking the time to leave a review!