Description

This Ranch Taco Pasta Salad is a vibrant and flavorful dish that combines rotini pasta with fresh vegetables, black beans, corn, and a zesty ranch-taco dressing. Perfect for potlucks, picnics, or a light meal, this salad offers a refreshing blend of textures and bold Southwestern-inspired flavors, topped with crunchy tortilla strips or Doritos for an irresistible crunch.

Ingredients

Scale

Pasta

12 ounce box rotini pasta, fully cooked and cooled

Vegetables & Beans

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
½ red onion, diced
15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
15 ounce can corn, drained

Dressing

1 cup ranch dressing
1 ounce packet taco seasoning

Garnish

Chopped cilantro, to garnish
Tortilla strips or Doritos, crunched on top

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Instructions

Make Dressing: In a small mixing bowl, combine the ranch dressing and taco seasoning. Whisk together until the mixture is smooth and well blended. Set aside.
Coat Pasta: In a large mixing bowl, add the fully cooked and cooled rotini pasta. Pour the prepared ranch-taco dressing over the pasta. Toss thoroughly to ensure the pasta is coated evenly with the dressing.
Add Veggies & Beans: Add the halved cherry tomatoes, diced green and red bell peppers, diced red onion, black beans, and corn to the pasta and dressing mixture. Gently toss everything together until all ingredients are well distributed.
Chill: Cover the bowl and place the pasta salad in the refrigerator. Chill for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the salad to cool thoroughly.
Serve: When ready to serve, garnish the pasta salad with chopped cilantro and sprinkle with tortilla strips or crunched Doritos for extra crunch and flavor.

Notes

For best flavor, let the salad chill at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the dressing and ingredients to meld.
Use rotini pasta as it holds the dressing well and provides great texture.
Feel free to add more or less taco seasoning depending on your preferred spice level.
To keep the salad fresh longer, add tortilla strips or Doritos just before serving to prevent them from getting soggy.