Mexican Pasta Salad recipe is an easy-to-make summer staple featuring a short list of fresh ingredients with a south-of-the-border flair, plus a couple of cans of beans and corn for maximum convenience.
Filled with bowtie pasta, black beans, corn, tomatoes, jalapeño, red onion, avocado, and queso fresco, all doused in a delicious creamy cilantro lime dressing, this side dish boasts simple prep with complex tastes and textures – perfectly impressive for feeding your crowd.
About This Mexican Pasta Salad
Our zesty, bold, and somewhat spicy Mexican Pasta Salad features a mix of Mexican-inspired ingredients and flavors, all tossed together with a creamy avocado yogurt dressing.
If you can boil pasta, mix in a blend of colorful, crispy veggies, creamy avocado, and juicy tomatoes, drizzle on some dressing, and combine it all to coat, then you can make this easy Mexican pasta salad recipe! It’s that simple.
Unlike a traditional pasta salad made heavy with a mayo or sour cream salad dressing, this fiesta pasta salad has been lightened up with low cal, low carb, gluten-free, yogurt dressing alternative – it’s creamy, citrusy, mildly spicy and is the perfect sauce for swaddling the produce and pasta.
When summer calls for cold sides and make-ahead portable food, Mexican pasta salad recipes are perfect, not only because they travel well, but also because you can dress them up or down depending on the crowd you’re feeding – the best Mexican pasta salad is so much more than any basic Mexican macaroni salad when it’s filled with fun south-of-the-border flavor!
Why We Love This Mexican Cold Pasta Salad Recipe
- Quick and easy to prepare in 15 minutes.
- Uses a handful of simple ingredients.
- Versatile recipe that can be customized with any of your favorite pasta salad add-ins or omit what you don’t have on hand.
- A delicious dish you can serve immediately (no chilling time needed) or it makes great leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day.
- Great recipe to feed a crowd and can easily be doubled or tripled.
- Hearty and satisfying side that pairs well with other proteins to make it a main meal.
- Make-ahead and travel-friendly pasta salads are perfect for potlucks, picnics, barbecues, and summer parties.
Mexican Pasta Salad Ingredients
- Bowtie pasta
- Black beans: You could also use pinto, white, or red kidney beans.
- Yellow kernel corn: You can substitute white kernel corn, hominy, or fresh corn if you wish.
- Grape tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, or hot house tomatoes also work if well diced.
- Jalapeño
- Red onion: You can substitute white or yellow onion if necessary.
- Cilantro
- Avocado dressing: I used Bolthouse Farm’s Cilantro Avocado dressing for this recipe but feel free to use your favorite brand.
- Avocados
- Queso fresco: You can substitute feta cheese if needed, although the flavor will be a bit different.
- Lime (optional garnish)
Substitutions and Additions
- Pick Your Pasta: You can substitute rigatoni, elbow, shell pasta, or any short pasta shape if you prefer.
- Pick A Pepper: For less heat, you can use green bell pepper instead of jalapeño, or for more heat, you can use serrano or habanero pepper.
- Prepare With More Protein: You can add some grilled chicken, steak, shrimp, or tofu to the salad for additional protein. You could also add black, pinto, or kidney beans if you want to add more protein without meat.
- Vary The Veggies: You could add other vegetables to the salad, such as bell peppers, zucchini, or cucumber.
- Choose Your Cheese: Queso fresco can be substituted with feta cheese, cotija cheese, or any other crumbly cheese that you like.
- Vegan Version: If you want to make the recipe vegan, omit the queso fresco and use a vegan-friendly dressing.
Recommended Tools
- Large mixing bowl
- Measuring tools
- Mixing tools
- Cutting board and knife
How to Make Mexican Pasta Salad
- Prepare The Pasta: Cook pasta according to the box instructions.
- Combine: Mix together the cooked pasta, black beans, corn, grape tomatoes, jalapeno, red onion, and cilantro. Drizzle on the dressing and combine.
- Serve: You can either serve the salad now or chill it up to overnight before serving. Sprinkle on the avocado and cheese and serve with a lime wedge. Enjoy!
Tips For Making The best Mexican Pasta Salad
- Don’t over cook your pasta. You should cook the noodles just until al-dente; any longer and they will become mushy and fall apart when mixed with the other ingredients.
- I used Bolthouse Farm’s Cilantro Avocado dressing. It can be found in the refrigerated dressings in your local Walmart or supermarket. You can also use another cilantro lime or avocado dressing if you wish.
- If you prefer a different type of dressing, you could swap out the avocado dressing for a different flavor, such as a vinaigrette or ranch dressing.
- If you prefer a spicier salad, leave the jalapeño seeds in, add additional or hotter peppers or hot sauce to the dressing. If you prefer a milder salad, you can omit the jalapeño altogether.
- If you need to make the recipe gluten-free, you can substitute the bowtie pasta with gluten-free pasta and be sure to use a gluten free dressing.
How to Store Mexican Pasta Salad
- To Store: Store any leftover Mexican Pasta Salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
More Easy Pasta Salad Recipes
Other Easy Salad Recipes
- Panera Fuji Apple Salad
- Olive Garden Salad
- 5 Cup Salad
- Tomato Cucumber Avocado Salad
- Watermelon Salad
- Chinese Chicken Salad
- Ranch Potato Salad
- Sub Sandwich in a Bowl
- Tortellini Pasta Salad
- Pesto Pasta Salad
Mexican Pasta Salad
Serves — 10
Mexican Pasta Salad is filled with south-of-the-border ingredients and flavors, all tossed together in a deliciously creamy avocado dressing. The perfect way to feed your friends at your next potluck or warm-weather gathering.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 12 ounces box bowtie pasta cooked, drained, and cooled
- 15 ounces can of black beans drained and rinsed
- 15 ounces can of yellow kernel corn drained and rinsed
- 1 pint package of grape tomatoes chopped
- 1 jalapeno seeded and diced
- ½ cup red onion diced
- ⅓ cup cilantro chopped
- ¾ cup avocado dressing
- 2 large avocados diced
- 1 cup queso fresco crumbled
- Lime wedges optional garnish
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, gently mix together the cooked and cooled bowtie pasta, black beans, corn, grape tomatoes, jalapeno, red onion, and cilantro until combined.
- Drizzle on the dressing and gently combine to coat the salad.
- You can either serve the salad now or chill it up to overnight before serving.
- When ready to serve the salad, sprinkle on the diced avocado and cheese and serve with a lime wedge garnish, optional.
Jenn’s Notes
Storage:
- To Store: Store any leftover Mexican Pasta Salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Don’t over cook your pasta. You should cook the noodles just until al-dente; any longer and they will become mushy and fall apart when mixed with the other ingredients.
- I used Bolthouse Farm’s Cilantro Avocado dressing. It can be found in the refrigerated dressings in your local Walmart or supermarket. You can also use another cilantro lime or avocado dressing if you wish.
- If you prefer a different type of dressing, you could swap out the avocado dressing for a different flavor, such as a vinaigrette or ranch dressing.
- If you prefer a spicier salad, leave the jalapeño seeds in, add additional or hotter peppers or hot sauce to the dressing. If you prefer a milder salad, you can omit the jalapeño altogether.
- If you need to make the recipe gluten free, you can substitute the bowtie pasta with gluten free pasta and be sure to use a gluten free dressing.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 402kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 563mg | Potassium: 609mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 629IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 113mg | Iron: 2mg
Easy to make and absolutely delicious! My guests loved it!😊