Description
Southwest Pasta Salad is a delightful mix of ditalini pasta, fresh vegetables, and a creamy chipotle dressing. It’s a quick and healthy meal that’s perfect for gatherings or a simple weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
- 16 ounces ditalini pasta (salad macaroni, or tiny pasta of your choice)
- 1 red bell pepper (finely diced, about 1 cup)
- 1 yellow bell pepper (finely diced, about 1 cup)
- 2 ears of corn (kernels removed, about 2 cups, OR 1 can of corn, drained)
- 1 English cucumber (peeled, and diced into ½-inch pieces, about 1 cup)
- 1 cup grape tomatoes (halved)
- ¼ cup red onion (finely diced)
- ½ cup sliced black olives (optional)
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro (chopped small)
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- ¾ teaspoon dried dill weed
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried chives
- ½ teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon granulated onion or onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoons white sugar
- 1–2 teaspoons fresh lime
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Rinse it well with cold water after draining to stop the cooking process.
- Chop and prepare all the vegetables while the pasta is cooking. Combine the red and yellow bell peppers, corn, cucumber, tomatoes, onion, olives, and cilantro in a large mixing bowl. Prepare the dressing and set it aside.
- Add the cooled pasta to the vegetables in the bowl and toss to mix. Drizzle with half of the dressing and stir to coat. Adjust the dressing to reach your preferred consistency.
- Cover and chill the pasta salad until serving time. Store remaining dressing in a jar in the fridge, and stir the salad before serving. If storing for multiple days, add more dressing as the pasta may absorb it.
- To prepare the dressing, place mayo, sour cream, chipotle peppers, dill, parsley, chives, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and sugar in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add milk and lime juice to adjust thickness, then blend again. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Notes
Feel free to add cooked chicken or shrimp for a protein boost.
This salad can be made a day in advance for flavors to meld better.
Add more lime juice to brighten up the flavors if desired.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 350mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 20mg