Chipotle Ranch Pasta Salad
This pasta salad is easily customizable based on what you have in the house. If you have everything in the ingredient list, use all of it. if not, use what you have. And as a bonus, just make the "dressing" part and serve it as a spicy dip for vegetables or even chicken wings!
Servings 6 servings
Calories 549kcal
Ingredients
- 8-12 oz penne or other short shape pasta cooked to al dente depending on your sauce-to-mixin-to-pasta preference
- 1 can black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 can corn rinsed and drained (or use kernels cut off of 3 ears of sweet young corn)
- 1 ripe avocado diced
- 1 can RoTel
- ½ medium onion diced
- 1 medium bell pepper diced
- ¼ cup minced pickled jalapeno optional if you like things really spicy
- 1 medium roasted red bell pepper diced (from a jar or made fresh)
- 3 oz pepper jack cheese cut in very small cubes
For the Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- 1 minced chipotle in adobo or 1/2-1 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
- 1 teaspoon adobo sauce from the canned chipotles optional
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2-1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- several shakes of your favorite hot sauce
- 1-2 teaspoons sugar honey, or agave (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions for "al dente."
- While the pasta is cooking, add the black beans, corn, avocado, RoTel, onion, and bell pepper, jalapeno, and roasted red pepper to a large bowl.
- Drain the pasta and rinse under cold water for a few seconds. Drain well.
- Dump the drained pasta on top of all the prepped vegetables and beans.
- Whisk together all the dressing ingredients and taste for seasoning. Adjust as necessary.
- Pour the dressing on top of the pasta and then gently but thoroughly fold everything together until the pasta and vegetables are evenly coated with the dressing.
- Taste and adjust again if necessary.
- Cover and chill for at least 4 hours.
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Substitutions/Variations
Please feel free to leave out what you don't like or don't have, or if you have an ingredient you'd like to add, go for it.
You can also cook up to 12 oz of pasta for this salad if you like. You may want to go a little heavier on the mayo and sour cream though, just to make sure you have enough dressing.
NOTE:
The pasta will absorb a lot of the dressing as it chills and especially as it sits overnight. If the salad seems a little "gooey," it should be just right after refrigerating it.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 549kcal | Carbohydrates: 51.3g | Protein: 13.6g | Fat: 33.9g | Saturated Fat: 11.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 32g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 849mg | Fiber: 6.2g | Sugar: 8.1g