Cowboy Pasta Salad
This Cowboy Pasta Salad is hearty, flavorful, and easy to make. Made with high-protein pasta, beans, veggies, and herbed homemade dressing. It’s perfect for BBQs and meal prep with 40g of protein per serving.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 pound protein pasta or short-cut pasta
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 1/2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 2 large dill pickles drained and chopped
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 2 sticks of celery finely chopped
- 15 ounces black beans one can, rinsed and drained
- 14.5 ounces corn one can, rinsed and drained
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 small red onion diced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Dressing:
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large lemon juiced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 cup dill relish
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the 1 pound protein pasta according to package directions, then drain and set aside in a large bowl.
- Heat a pan over medium heat and add the 1 pound lean ground beef. Cook, mincing with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink. About 4-5 minutes. Stir in the 1 1/2 tablespoons taco seasoning and continue to cook until it starts to brown. Remove from the heat and season with some salt and pepper.
- Prepare and cut all the veggies (2 large dill pickles, 1 green bell pepper, 2 sticks of celery, 1 pint cherry tomatoes, 1 small red onion, and 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro), and dice the 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese. Add all the ingredients to the bowl with the pasta and the 15 ounces black beans and 14.5 ounces corn). Add in the browned meat, too.
- In a small jug, whisk all the dressing ingredients together (3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 large lemon, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/4 cup dill relish, 1 clove garlic, 1-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey, and Kosher salt and black pepper).
- Pour the dressing over the salad. Toss to combine and enjoy!
Notes
- Serving size: about 2 cups
- Do not overcook the pasta. If you do not want to use protein pasta, any short pasta will work just fine.
- Use lean ground beef, or for a vegetarian option, skip the beef.
- I like using canned corn instead of frozen. If using frozen, thaw fully, rinse with hot water, and drain. Allow it to cool before adding it to the salad.
- Rinse the black beans really well.
- Try to chop everything the same size.
Nutrition
Calories: 578kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 796mg | Potassium: 727mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 938IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 297mg | Iron: 9mg