Mexican Pasta Salad

July 15, 2024

Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe Fiesta Pasta Salad ~ this Mexican pasta salad is loaded with corn, black beans, tomatoes, jalapeño, cilantro, and a fresh lime vinaigrette for a zesty, flavorful, summer side dish! | FiveHeartHome.com via @fivehearthome

Fiesta Pasta Salad ~ this Mexican pasta salad is loaded with corn, black beans, tomatoes, jalapeño, cilantro, and a fresh lime vinaigrette for a zesty, flavorful, summer side dish! | FiveHeartHome.com via @fivehearthome

Fiesta Pasta Salad is a Mexican pasta salad loaded with corn, black beans, tomatoes, jalapeño, cilantro, and a fresh lime vinaigrette for a zesty, flavorful, summer side dish!

Fiesta Pasta Salad with text overlay.

So who else is counting down the days until summer vacation??? We've hit that point in May where this mama's head is about to explode. Fortunately, I got to take a little break yesterday. My hubby and kids did their best to spoil me for Mother's Day! And I just so happened to bring this Mexican pasta salad -- or Fiesta Pasta Salad, if you will -- to a family gathering on Saturday when we celebrated Mother's Day with my mother-in-law...between baseball games, of course. We were keeping lunch simple and kid-friendly with sandwiches and ice cream cake. So I decided to contribute a dish that was fresh and summery and could be enjoyed by kids and adults alike. And it was such a hit that I just had to share it here today!

Close-up of Mexican Pasta Salad in white serving bowl.

Ingredients

Yes, indeed...I'm happy to say that Fiesta Pasta Salad was just the thing to round out our meal. My father-in-law commented more than once that he hoped I had written down the recipe. And I told him that I practically had the recipe memorized, since this Mexican pasta salad is simply a spin on the Corn, Black Bean, & Tomato Salad that I've been making for years:

Corn.
Black beans.
Tomatoes.
Jalapeño.
Cilantro.

I just tweaked the ratio of the fresh lime vinaigrette and added corkscrew pasta.

And the result was so yummy that I'm not sure why I never thought to turn that recipe into a pasta salad before.

After all, pasta is the perfect vehicle for all of the different flavors and textures partying together in this recipe...which is why I thought Fiesta Pasta Salad (highlighting the Tex-Mex flavors) was a simpler title than Corn, Black Bean, Tomato, Jalapeño, & Cilantro Pasta Salad. 😉

Close-up of ingredients in bowl, including corn, black beans, tomatoes, jalapeño, and cilantro.

How to Make Mexican Pasta Salad

This recipe is super easy to throw together for all of your summer potlucks, picnics, parties, BBQs, and get-togethers. In fact, it couldn't get anymore straightforward!

Boil the pasta.

Thaw a bag of frozen sweet corn.

Rinse and drain a couple cans of black beans.

Chop up some tomatoes and cilantro.

Shake together a fresh lime juice vinaigrette.

Toss it all together!

In fact, it will amaze you that such a simple recipe can turn out so delicious.

Dressing Tips

Any time I make pasta salad, I like to dress it with about two-thirds of the dressing, mix everything together, and refrigerate for awhile to allow all of the flavors to meld. Then just before serving, I stir in the remaining dressing, since so much of the original dressing gets absorbed into the pasta while chilling. The result is a pasta salad that boasts flavor through and through!

Aerial View of Mexican Pasta Salad in bowl with spoon.

I've already decided that I'm going to make Fiesta Pasta Salad again come Memorial Day. The busy-ness of May will be mostly behind us, the last day of school will be mere days away, and I'll be ready to wholeheartedly welcome summer. So what better way to celebrate than stuffing my face with my new favorite pasta salad?!

Hope y'all love it just as much...and may the force be with all of us these next few weeks. 😉

More Pasta Salads

Mexican Pasta Salad

Fiesta Pasta Salad is a Mexican pasta salad loaded with corn, black beans, tomatoes, jalapeño, cilantro, and a fresh lime vinaigrette for a zesty, flavorful, summer side dish! By Samantha Skaggs Course: SaladCuisine: Mexican Prep Time: 20 Total Time: 20 Servings: to 10 servings Calories: 336kcal Print Pin Rate

Ingredients

For the dressing:

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, or canola oil
⅔ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the pasta salad:

8 ounces corkscrew pasta, cooked in salted water according to package directions & drained
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained & rinsed
16 ounces frozen corn
16 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered (OR about 2 extra-large tomatoes, seeded & chopped)
2 fresh jalapeños, seeded, all membranes removed, & finely diced, optional
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped, plus additional for garnish

Instructions

Make the dressing by whisking all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly incorporated, or shaking them in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Set aside.
Place the cooked pasta and the rinsed black beans in a very large bowl. Thaw the corn by placing it in a colander and running it under warm water; drain well and add to bowl. Add the tomatoes, jalapeños, and cilantro to the bowl, and pour about two-thirds of the dressing over top. Gently mix all of the ingredients with a large spoon until well combined. Refrigerate for several hours to allow the flavors to blend. Just before serving, stir in the remainder of the dressing and garnish with additional cilantro, if desired.

Video

Nutrition

Post originally published on May 15, 2017.

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