Here’s a bold and hearty Cowboy Pasta Salad 🤠🍝 — packed with smoky, savory flavors and perfect for BBQs or a filling side dish.
Ingredients (Serves 6–8)
Salad:
- 3 cups cooked pasta (rotini or penne, cooled)
- 1 cup cooked ground beef or diced cooked bacon
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup corn (fresh, canned, or frozen)
- 1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ red onion, finely diced
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
Dressing:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup BBQ sauce
- 1 tbsp mustard (yellow or Dijon)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta
- Boil pasta according to package directions.
- Drain and rinse with cold water to cool.
- Prepare dressing
- In a bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, BBQ sauce, mustard, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Combine salad
- In a large bowl, mix pasta, beef (or bacon), tomatoes, corn, black beans, cheese, onion, and bell pepper.
- Add dressing
- Pour dressing over the salad and toss until everything is well coated.
- Chill & serve
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving for best flavor.
Tips
- Extra kick: Add jalapeños or a dash of hot sauce.
- Lighter version: Use Greek yogurt instead of mayo.
- Protein swap: Try grilled chicken instead of beef or bacon.
If you want, I can also give you a spicy Tex-Mex cowboy pasta salad version with a little heat and extra flavor 😄
