Southwest Pasta Salad
This easy Southwest Pasta Salad incorporates crisp vegetables and a smoky, spicy dressing for a crowd-pleasing side dish everyone loves.
Servings: 10 servings
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 16 ounces ditalini pasta salad macaroni, or tiny pasta of your choice
- 1 red bell pepper finely diced, about 1 cup
- 1 yellow bell pepper finely diced, about 1 cup
- 2 ears of corn kernels removed, about 2 cups, OR 1 can of corn, drained
- 1 English cucumber peeled, and diced into ½-inch pieces, about 1 cup
- 1 cup grape tomatoes halved
- ¼ cup red onion finely diced
- ½ cup sliced black olives optional
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped small
Dressing Ingredients
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- ¾ teaspoon dried dill weed
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried chives
- ½ teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon granulated onion or onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoons white sugar
- 1-2 teaspoons fresh lime
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
To Make the Pasta Salad:
- Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Rinse well with cold water after draining to halt the cooking process.
- While the pasta is cooking, chop and prep all the vegetables. Combine the red and yellow bell peppers, corn, cucumber, tomatoes, onion, olives, and cilantro in a large mixing bowl. Make the dressing and set aside until needed.
- Add the cooked and cooled pasta to the bowl with the vegetables and toss to combine. Drizzle with half of the prepared dressing and stir to coat. Taste and add more dressing until the pasta reaches the desired level of sauciness. Adjust the seasonings, as desired at this point.
- Cover and refrigerate the pasta salad until ready to serve. Transfer any remaining dressing to a jar with a lid and store in the fridge. Stir the salad again just before serving. Additional dressing may be added if the pasta will be stored for several days, as the pasta may absorb some of it over time.
To Make the Dressing:
- In a food processor, combine the mayo, sour cream, chipotle peppers, dill, parsley, chives, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and sugar. Blend until smooth. Add the milk and lime juice to adjust the thickness. Blend again to combine. Taste the dressing and adjust the seasonings, as desired.
Nutrition
Calories: 317kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 251mg | Potassium: 336mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 884IU | Vitamin C: 43mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 1mg