southwestern pasta salad
Soups & Salads
Southwestern Pasta Salad
I created this southwestern pasta salad for a friend who owns a catering business. I was told it was a hit at her events and it's now among the most-requested dishes.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon salsa
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 package (16 ounces) uncooked spiral or cavatappi pasta
- 1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
- 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 cans (2-1/4 ounces each) sliced ripe olives, drained
- 1 small green pepper, finely chopped
- 1 small sweet red pepper, finely chopped
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, divided
- 1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and sliced
Directions
- For dressing, in a small bowl, whisk the first 8 ingredients until blended. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta; rinse with cold water.
- In a large bowl, mix pasta, corn, beans, tomatoes, olives, peppers, onion and 1/4 cup cilantro. Pour dressing over salad; toss to coat. Refrigerate until serving.
- Just before serving, top with avocado and the remaining 1/4 cup cilantro.
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