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    Home » Appetizers & Sides » Easy Taco Pasta Salad

    Easy Taco Pasta Salad

    Published: Mar 22, 2018 · Modified: May 19, 2021 by Jennie · This post may contain affiliate links

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    Seasoned with taco seasonings this Easy Taco Pasta Salad is the perfect summertime side dish. It's filled with green onions, bell peppers, corn, Mexican shredded cheese, and completely delicious!

    Taco Pasta salad in white serving bowl

    Side dishes for grilling season!

    I have been longing for warmer weather and made my BBQ Chicken Legs in the oven that taste as if they came right off the grill for weeks now.

    It finally got warmer, and we bought a new grill. We made burgers with this Easy Taco Pasta Salad as the side dish.

    It was so wonderful, and this recipe was so good the perfect summertime side dish. Well, today we woke up to snow so I will be sitting here eating leftovers pretending like it's still 60 degrees outside. 

    Ingredients:

    • Rotini
    • Mayonnaise
    • Sour Cream
    • Taco seasoning
    • Ranch seasoning (dry)
    • Green onions (diced)
    • Red Bell peppers (diced)
    • Canned Corn (drained)
    • Mexican Blended Cheese (shredded)

     

    Ingredients for Taco Pasta salad

    Directions:

    Step One: Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and rinse with cold water then set aside.
    • Tip: Use a pasta that is shapely! Rotini, penne, farfalle are great choices! You want the dressings and flavors to get into the pasta for the best taste!
    Step Two: In a large mixing bowl add mayo and sour cream. Add taco and ranch seasoning and mix until well combined. Add pasta to this and toss until all pasta is coated.

    Ingredients for taco Pasta salad in a clear bowl

    Step Three: Add green onions, bell pepper, corn, and cheese. Toss again to mix and then allow to chill in the fridge for 1-2 hours before serving.

    Taco Pasta salad being mixed in a clear bowl on a blue and white towel

    Cooking Tip:

    When serving you want your pasta to be cooled. I drain mine and leave it in the colander then run cold water over the pasta to cool quickly.

    Typically you do not want to rinse your pasta, or the sauce will not be absorbed in it. The only time it is acceptable to rinse pasta is when you are using it for a cold dish, such as pasta salad. Once cooked you can add it to the rest of your salad.

    Can I make this Pasta Salad ahead of time?

    Normally yes, you can make almost any pasta salad ahead of time. With this one, you still can get most of it done in advance. Go ahead and cook your pasta. Mix that up with the other ingredients and the mayo/sour cream. Store in the refrigerator. It should last roughly 2-4 days in the refrigerator.

    Pasta Salad Recipes

    • Italian Spaghetti Pasta Salad
    • Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
    • Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
    • Classic Macaroni Pasta Salad

    If you tried this recipe or any of my recipes I would love to hear from you, leave me a comment below. You can also connect with me on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST, and YOUTUBE.

    I would love for you to follow along and discover more amazing recipes.

    Show me what you are making, tag us or use hashtag #TDOARH

    Easy Taco Pasta Salad

    Easy Taco Pasta Salad

    Jennie Duncan
    Seasoned with taco seasonings this Easy Taco Pasta Salad is the perfect summertime side dish. It's filled with green onions, bell peppers, corn, Mexican shredded cheese, and completely delicious!
    4.80 from 5 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    chilling time 2 hrs
    Total Time 30 mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine American, Pasta, Tex-Mex
    Servings 10 servings
    Calories 348 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 10 oz Rotini
    • 1 cup Mayonnaise
    • ½ cup Sour cream
    • 1 tablespoon Taco seasoning
    • ½ tablespoon Ranch seasoning (dry)
    • ½ cup Green onions (diced)
    • 1 cup Red bell pepper (diced)
    • 1 can Corn (15.25 oz and drained)
    • 1 ½ cups Mexican blend cheese (shredded)

    Instructions
     

    • Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and rinse with cold water then set aside. 
    • In a large mixing bowl add mayo and sour cream. Add taco and ranch seasoning and mix until well combined. Add pasta to this and toss until all pasta is coated.
    • Add green onions, bell pepper, corn, and cheese. Toss again to mix and then allow to chill in the fridge for 1-2 hours before serving. 

    Video

    Notes

    • Tip: Use a pasta that is shapely! Rotini, penne, farfalle are great choices! You want the dressings and flavors to get into the pasta for the best taste!

    Cooking Tip:

    When serving you want your pasta to be cooled. I drain mine and leave it in the colander then run cold water over the pasta to cool quickly.
    Typically you do not want to rinse your pasta, or the sauce will not be absorbed in it. The only time it is acceptable to rinse pasta is when you are using it for a cold dish, such as pasta salad. Once cooked you can add it to the rest of your salad.

    Can I make this Pasta Salad ahead of time?

    Normally yes, you can make almost any pasta salad ahead of time. With this one, you still can get most of it done in advance. Go ahead and cook your pasta. Mix that up with the other ingredients and the mayo/sour cream. Store in the refrigerator. It should last roughly 2-4 days in the refrigerator.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 348kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 8gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 347mgPotassium: 143mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 735IUVitamin C: 20.2mgCalcium: 136mgIron: 0.7mg
    Keyword Easy Taco Pasta Salad, pasta salad
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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    « Foil Cheesy Ranch Potatoes
    Slow Cooker Lemon Pepper Chicken and Rotini »
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Alicia

      July 27, 2021 at 1:28 pm

      Hi this sounds amazing! Can I use Farfalle pasta? That's all I have in the pantry right now.

      Reply
      • Jennie

        July 27, 2021 at 3:39 pm

        Yes any pasta you have on hand will work!

        Reply
    2. SandyG

      June 01, 2021 at 8:12 pm

      Made this for supper tonight. Hubby and I both loved it! I bet it will be even better tomorrow when the flavors meld a little more. Brought some to our neighbors I was that confident! Thanks for a fast, simple and flavorful recipe...☺️

      Reply
      • Jennie

        June 02, 2021 at 12:00 pm

        So glad you liked it!

        Reply
    3. Julie Berk

      May 29, 2021 at 3:55 pm

      Made this today, it was so good. Everyone devoured it!! Great recipe and super easy!

      Reply
      • Jennie

        May 31, 2021 at 10:21 am

        So glad everyone loved it!

        Reply
    4. Autumn

      March 24, 2020 at 1:55 pm

      The very best pasta recipe I've ever had! I shared the link on my FB!

      Reply
      • Jennie

        April 16, 2020 at 3:13 pm

        Thank you!!

        Reply
    5. Angel

      March 02, 2020 at 2:08 pm

      For the nutrition facts listed above.. how much is a serving size.. sounds sooo good.. was thinking to add chicken..

      Reply
    6. Erica

      February 22, 2020 at 11:23 am

      This was so quick and easy to make, not to mention super yummy!!! I topped it with deep fried jalapeños when serving and it was a big hit, definitely making again!!

      Reply
    7. Val

      July 23, 2019 at 7:09 pm

      This recipe was delicious & easy too. We had company coming & my husband wanted me to make a pasta salad to go along with the grilled chicken & brats he was making. I had all the ingredients to make this so thought I would try it. Everyone including myself liked it. I’m deleting any other taco pasta salad recipes I have pinned because this one is the one I like the best. It’s a keeper!

      Reply
      • Jennie

        July 23, 2019 at 7:15 pm

        So happy to hear that! Thank you Val!

        Reply
    8. VIRGINIA D COOPER

      June 08, 2019 at 1:23 pm

      I love pasta salads and will try this taco pasta salad.

      Reply
      • Jennie

        June 08, 2019 at 7:06 pm

        I hope you enjoy it!

        Reply
    9. Carol

      May 23, 2019 at 3:45 pm

      No one in my family cares for dishes made with more than 1-2 Tbspns of mayo/miracle whip. Is there something else I could use in place of this? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Jennie

        May 26, 2019 at 3:20 pm

        You can skip the mayo and just try it with more sour cream instead. Hope you enjoy it!

        Reply
    10. Rachel

      August 10, 2018 at 8:44 am

      How much will this make? Thinking about making it for a pot luck.

      Reply
      • Jennie

        August 11, 2018 at 4:04 pm

        Hi Rachel! For this recipe I used 10oz of pasta which gave my family 4-5 good servings. As a side dish for a pot luck you could get 6-8 servings since people will eat less of each thing. If you have any other questions let me know and I hope you enjoy the recipe!

        Reply
    11. Jessica

      July 13, 2018 at 10:46 am

      Can you make this a day ahead?

      Reply
      • Jennie

        July 13, 2018 at 3:13 pm

        Hi Jessica, this pasta salad should be good in the fridge covered with plastic wrap for 3-4 days after it's made. I hope you enjoy it!

        Reply
    12. Maureen

      July 04, 2018 at 11:09 pm

      Do you need to use mayo or does miracle whip work too?

      Reply
      • Jennie

        July 05, 2018 at 9:56 am

        Hi Maureen! I use moo for this recipe. Miracle whip would work though! Let me know how you like it!

        Reply
    13. Amanda Schmidt

      June 14, 2018 at 12:40 pm

      Hi does the sour cream in this get hard the next day. I have seen some reviews of other taco pasta salad recipes and I am afraid of what it will look like the next day.

      Reply
      • Jennie

        June 14, 2018 at 8:55 pm

        Hi Amanda, when I made this I ate leftovers and everything was just as creamy the next day. I do find sour cream to get hard if it is not sealed properly so as long as you store it in a good container overnight in the fridge you should be okay!

        I hope you enjoy it!

        Reply
    14. Marcey

      June 13, 2018 at 1:56 pm

      Can I use ranch dressing (the liquid) instead of the powder?

      Reply
      • Jennie

        June 13, 2018 at 3:49 pm

        Hi Marcey, I have not tried this recipe that way but have made one with ranch dressing before. My bacon ranch pasta salad. So I think it would work but I would use less sour cream and mayo at first so it does not become to liquid.

        Hope that helps and hope you enjoy the recipe!!

        Reply
    15. Jan

      June 10, 2018 at 5:56 pm

      Do you cook the corn first?

      Reply
      • Jennie

        June 10, 2018 at 6:51 pm

        If you are using can corn that is precooked (most cans should be) then you do not need to cook it just drain and rinse. If you are using fresh or frozen corn then you would need to cook and then allow to cool.

        Reply
    16. Jan

      May 27, 2018 at 11:44 am

      Do you drain the corn before you add it ti the salad?

      Reply
      • Jennie

        May 27, 2018 at 1:16 pm

        Yes I do drain first! Thanks Jan I'll update the recipe now!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Jennie! I'm a busy mom of three and I love cooking and sharing easy recipes. From slow cooker meals to casseroles all my recipes are simple to make and ones the entire family will love.

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