Description
A refreshing cold salad combining lean beef, rotini pasta, and crisp veggies in a zesty chili-lime dressing. Perfect for lunch or dinner, it’s designed to stay fresh and flavorful.
Ingredients
Dressing:
– 1/2 cup mayonnaise
– 1/2 cup sour cream (light preferred)
– Zest and 2 tablespoons juice from 2 limes
– 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
– 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
– 1/2 teaspoon ground chili powder
– 1/2 teaspoon paprika
– 1 teaspoon Sriracha
– 1/4 teaspoon salt
– 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Salad:
– 3 cups rotini pasta
– 1 tablespoon olive oil
– 1 pound lean ground beef (93/7)
– 1 package taco seasoning (or homemade)
– 1 small red bell pepper (3/4 cup diced)
– 2 cups cherry tomatoes (halved/quartered)
– 1/3 cup green onions (thinly sliced)
– 1/3 cup cilantro (finely chopped)
– 15-ounce can black beans (drained/rinsed)
– 1 cup corn (charred or thawed)
Instructions
1. Zest and juice 2 limes for 1/4 teaspoon zest and 2 tablespoons juice.
2. Whisk dressing ingredients in a bowl until smooth. Chill in refrigerator.
3. Boil 8 cups water with 2 tsp salt. Add rotini pasta and cook to al dente.
4. In a skillet, cook ground beef with olive oil until browned. Add taco seasoning and 1/4 cup water, simmer 5 minutes.
5. Toss cooked pasta with beans, corn, bell pepper, tomatoes, green onions, and cilantro.
6. Cool pasta mixture, then mix with cooled chili-lime dressing and cooked beef. Chill 1 hour before serving.
Notes
Chill dressing for at least 30 minutes for optimal flavor. Adjust chili powder to taste. Use fresh lime juice if frozen limes are unavailable. Substitute taco seasoning with 1 tsp each of chili powder, cumin, paprika, and 1/2 tsp garlic powder.
Store in airtight containers up to 24 hours.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 35
- Category: Lunch
- Method: Stovetop and Boiling
- Cuisine: Mexican-American