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taco pasta salad in black bowl.
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Taco Pasta Salad

This taco pasta salad feeds a crowd and is always a big hit! Loaded with seasoned beef, crisp veggies, plenty of cheese, and all topped off with a creamy, sweet, tangy dressing! The real crowd pleaser are the crushed Doritos throughout the salad though!
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 16
Calories 417kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 pound rotini
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 packet taco seasoning
  • 15 ounces canned black beans drained and rinsed
  • 8 ounces canned corn drained
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
  • 2 cups shredded Fiesta blend cheese
  • 16 ounces Catalina dressing
  • 3 tablespoons sour cream
  • 9 ounces Nacho Cheese Doritos crushed
  • 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the rotini. Cook according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
  • While the pasta is cooking, brown the beef over medium heat, crumbling it as it cooks. Drain the grease and add the taco seasoning, along with ¼ cup of water, to the beef. Stir to coat the beef and continue cooking for 5 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated.
  • Add the cooked pasta, seasoned beef, beans, corn, onion, tomatoes, and cheese to a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
  • Add the Catalina dressing and sour cream to a small bowl and whisk to combine.
  • Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture and stir to coat.
  • If serving right away, add the Doritos and lettuce and stir to combine. Garnish with cilantro.
  • If you’re making in advance and will be serving later, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. Stir in the Doritos, lettuce, and cilantro just before serving for the best texture.

Video

Notes

This recipe will keep in the fridge, but the lettuce and Doritos tend to get soggy. We prefer to add them just before serving or to serve them on the side for individual servings if we know we won’t finish off the salad in one day.
This recipe makes A TON of pasta salad - you'll need a huge bowl. Not feeding an army? This one is easy to halve.

Nutrition

Calories: 417kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 879mg | Potassium: 370mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 515IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 147mg | Iron: 2mg