Taco Ranch Pasta Salad is so quick and easy and sure to become your new summer favorite pasta salad! Packed full of rotini, ranch dressing, salsa, black beans, corn and tons of other goodies!
Taco Ranch Pasta Salad
This is truly my favorite summer pasta salad! Our whole family loves this! I developed this recipe last summer and have been waiting impatiently to share it with you all. It’s one of the fastest side salads you can put together and has a ton of flavor. I do love classics like Creamy Cucumber Salad and Tuna Pasta Salad but this one is very original and something different to show up with at the potluck.
What Goes in This Pasta Salad?
This unique pasta salad starts out with rotini noodles like most pasta salads, but after that is where it gets fun. We use jarred or Blender Salsa along with Ranch Dressing and taco seasoning to make a quick sauce. Then we use canned black beans, corn, onions for crunch, olives for some tang, juicy summer tomatoes, and of course some shredded taco style cheese blend! You can of course customize the ingredients to your taste but I love this combo so much for max flavor.
How to Make Taco Ranch Pasta Salad:
- First things first, boil your pasta. I start on the sauce and veggies while the water is coming to a boil and the pasta is cooking.
- Whisk together your salsa, ranch and taco seasoning.
- Chop the onion and half the tomatoes. Drain and rinse your beans and corn. Then, just add the veggies to the sauce. Once the pasta is drained and rinsed, you can mix everything together and you’re ready to go.
Storing this Pasta Salad for Later
Firstly, I prefer to allow this to sit in the fridge in a covered container for a good hour or two before serving. I find it makes a difference and there is much more flavor this way. However, if you need it fast you can serve right away. Make sure you give this a good stir right before serving as well. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge up to 3 days.
Recipe Notes and Tips:
- I use rotini for this salad because I love the way the dressing gets in all of the nooks and crannies! It will easily work with another short cut pasta such as macaroni if that is what you have.
- For salsa, I recommend a smooth salsa like picante sauce or restaurant style salsa over a chunky version.
- For ranch, my fave store bought versions are either Ken’s, Marzetti, Litehouse, or Bolthouse farms. In my opinion the ranch really matters since it’s such a simple salad.
- For onion, you can use red or green. I like red because it’s a little more crunch but if you prefer a more mild onion flavor use green.
- As far as olives, you can leave them out if you want but they do add a nice tang to the salad. Or, substitute with black olives instead of green if you prefer.
- If you want your salad a bit more tangy or spicy add in 1 Tablespoon of Lime juice and/or a couple Tablespoons of Pickled jalapenos.
Enjoy!
~Nichole
Taco Ranch Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Rotini Pasta
- 1 1/2 Cups Ranch Dressing
- 1 1/2 Cups Salsa
- 2 Tablespoons Taco Seasoning
- 1 1/2 Cups Mexican Style Shredded Cheese
- 1 Cup Halved Cherry Tomatoes
- 1 15 Ounce Can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 15 Ounce Can Corn, drained
- 1 Cup Green or Black Olives
- 1/2 Cup Chopped Red or Green Onion
Instructions
- Boil the pasta according to package directions, drain in a colander and rinse under cold water until cool.
- Meanwhile in a large bowl whisk together the ranch dressing, salsa, and taco seasoning until combined.
- Add the cheese, tomatoes, black beans, corn, olives and onion to the dressing and stir.
- Once the pasta is drained and rinsed, add to the dressing and veggie mixture and stir to combine.
- You can serve right away but I recommend chilling for 1-2 hours first. Then, stir again before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
