I love a good pasta salad. With spring in the air, warmer weather, and the sun peaking out after rainstorms, I have been itching to pull the barbecue out. And whether it’s burgers, steak, or BBQ chicken, pasta salad is always a fitting side.
I normally take a bit of a different approach when making my pasta salad than most people. My secret is ranch dressing. But, this time around, I decided to switch things up a bit further. Rather than a more traditional pasta salad, I made a Tex-Mex style pasta salad.
To lower the caloric content, I put only a small amount of mayonnaise in the salad and replaced the rest of the mayonnaise with nonfat Greek yogurt and low-fat sour cream. This dramatically reduced the amount of calories per serving!
To keep the mess manageable, I heated up a pot of water. Once it was boiling, I added the eggs and cooked for 12 minutes. I removed the eggs with a slotted spoon and placed them in an ice bath. To the already simmering water, I added the pasta. If you want to cook the eggs and pasta in separate pots, this will certainly reduce the time it takes to make this dish! Or, save time on how many dishes you have to wash. You’re call!
Seasoned with chili, garlic powder, paprika, and a hint of cayenne, this pasta salad has a perfect level of bite without taking away from your entree. I added a bit of pickled jalapeño juice for an added oomph. And that’s really it! Super simple pasta and healthful salad to accompany any of your barbecue favorites!
Tex-Mex Style Pasta Salad
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 16 servings 1x
- Category: sides, appetizers, Tex-Mex
Ingredients
16 oz cavatappi pasta or elbow macaroni – cooked, drained, and cooled with cold water
1 cup red onion, finely chopped
1 cup red pepper, finely chopped
1 cup celery, finely chopped
1 cup corn (if frozen, microwave for 1½ minutes in water, then drain)
6 to 8 hard boiled eggs, chopped
¼ cup chives, minced
Dressing
¾ cup light sour cream
⅔ cup nonfat ranch dressing
½ cup low-fat Greek yogurt
¼ cup mayonnaise
1½ TBs yellow mustard
1 to 2 TBs pickled jalapeño juice
1 TB garlic powder
2 tsps chili powder
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
½ tsp paprika
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions
In a large bowl, toss together the pasta, onion, pepper, celery, corn, eggs, and chives. In a medium bowl, mix together the dressing ingredients until thoroughly combined. Add the dressing to the large bowl and mix until thoroughly coated and combined.
Serve immediately or refrigerator until ready to use.
Enjoy!
Keywords: pasta salad, elbow macaroni, macaroni salad, southwestern pasta salad, southwestern macaroni salad, Tex-Mex pasta salad, Tex-Mex macaroni salad
