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Southwest Pasta Salad

Southwest Pasta Salad Recipe

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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 460
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 12 oz rotini pasta
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 orange bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 small red onion, finely diced
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (optional)
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 ripe avocado, diced
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp honey

Method
 

  1. Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, and shake dry.
  2. In a large bowl, combine black beans, corn, tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion, jalapeño, and cilantro.
  3. Whisk together olive oil, lime juice, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, and honey until emulsified.
  4. Add the pasta to the vegetable bowl, pour over the dressing, and toss well. Gently fold in diced avocado just before serving.

Notes

Chilling the salad for at least 30 minutes deepens the flavor, but if you add the avocado ahead of time it will soften and brown. For the best texture, stir in the avocado right before each serving.