Description
Cowboy Pasta Salad is a hearty and flavorful dish combining pasta, ground beef, fresh vegetables, and a zesty dressing.
Ingredients
Scale
- 16 ounces small elbow pasta
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 1/3 cup taco seasoning
- 1 red, orange, or yellow bell pepper, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped, about 1/3 cup
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, cut into 1/2-inch matchsticks
- optional: jarred sliced jalapenos
- 1 cup lightly flavored olive oil
- 1/2 cup juice from jar of sliced jalapenos
- 1/4–1/2 cup sliced jarred jalapenos, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, about 3 small limes worth
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, adjust to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain under cold water until the pasta is cool.
- While the pasta is boiling, cook and crumble the ground beef in a large skillet, sprinkle the meat generously with the taco seasoning while cooking.
- Combine the pasta, ground beef, bell peppers, tomatoes, onion, and cilantro in a large mixing bowl.
- Combine the oil, jalapeno juice, jalapenos, lime juice, garlic, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper in a jar. Cover with lid and shake well.
- Pour the dressing over the pasta salad in the bowl. Toss to coat thoroughly.
- Serve warm or at room temperature. Top with jalapeno slices and/or cheddar cheese. Enjoy!
Notes
- Adjust the spice level by adding more or fewer jalapenos.
- This salad can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator.
- For a vegetarian version, substitute the ground beef with black beans or lentils.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Mixing and Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 700mg
- Fat: 30g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 75mg