Description
Ready to upgrade your pasta salad game? This Taco Pasta Salad brings together the best of two worlds—pasta and tacos—for a flavor-packed, easy recipe you’ll want to make again and again. With seasoned meat, juicy tomatoes, crisp veggies, zesty lime, and salty cheese, it’s perfect for quick dinners, potluck parties, or healthy snack ideas. This dish is chilled, refreshing, and ridiculously crave-worthy. It fits into summer picnic ideas, easy dinner plans, or lunchbox meal prep goals like a charm.
Ingredients
12 oz rotini pasta
1 lb ground turkey or beef
1 packet taco seasoning
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 red bell pepper, diced
0.5 red onion, finely chopped
0.25 cup chopped cilantro
0.25 cup chopped parsley
1 lime, juiced
0.5 cup crumbled cotija or feta cheese
Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Cook pasta until al dente, drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
2. Brown ground meat in a skillet, add taco seasoning and a splash of water. Simmer until thickened, then cool.
3. Dice bell pepper, slice tomatoes, and chop red onion, cilantro, and parsley.
4. In a large bowl, combine cooled pasta, meat, vegetables, and herbs.
5. Add lime juice, season with salt and pepper, and toss everything together.
6. Top with cheese and garnish with extra herbs and lime wedges.
7. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
Let the pasta cool fully before mixing to avoid wilting the veggies.
Add avocado or black beans for a heartier version.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-bake / Chilled
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 360
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 580mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 21g
- Cholesterol: 55mg