Tex-Mex Summer Pasta Salad

Smoky, tangy, bright, and bursting with the fresh flavors of the season, this Tex-Mex Summer Pasta Salad is the ultimate cold pasta salad you’ll be serving with everything. If you love a great mexican pasta salad with bold, layered flavors, this easy macaroni salad is one the entire family will be requesting all summer long.

Grilling season is in full effect. If you’re looking for a hearty yet bright and light side to serve alongside your Grilled Flank Steak with Peach Salsa, this is it. Combining pantry staples like pasta, beans, and canned tomatoes with a handful of fresh ingredients, this salad is the perfect balance of textures and flavors. It’s so good, it might not even make it to plates.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Meal Prep – This is one of those cold pasta salad dishes that just gets better as it sits in the fridge. Make it a day ahead, cover the large bowl with plastic wrap, and let the flavors meld overnight — you won’t regret it.
• Accessible Ingredients – This Mexican pasta salad calls for pantry staples you probably already have on hand alongside everyday fresh produce. It’s as easy to shop for as it is to make.
• Balance of Flavors – The chipotle adds smokiness and heat, a squeeze of lime juice brings brightness, and the sour cream tames the kick beautifully. A pinch of salt ties it all together.
• Customizable – Leftover grilled chicken? Throw it in. Want to stir in some black olives, cheddar cheese, or swap the sour cream for mayo or mayonnaise for a creamier dressing? Go for it. You can even drizzle in a splash of Italian dressing for extra tang. This salad adapts to whatever you have on hand.

Ingredients

This Tex-Mex Summer Pasta Salad brings all of the bold flavors you crave. With just twelve simple ingredients, this macaroni salad will be staring in your summer cookouts, Memorial Day celebrations, and weeknight dinners.

• Concha Shell Pasta – The perfect shape to scoop up all the chunky mix-ins. Cook al dente, drain well, and rinse under cold water so your cold pasta salad stays light and never clumpy.
• Red Gold Tomato Love Tomatoes – Combining ripe tomatoes with fresh chilies and seasoning, this instantly brings that Mexican pasta salad flavor to the large bowl.
• Black Beans – Gives texture and a kick of protein while keeping this a vegetarian pasta salad.
• Grilled Corn – Adds smokiness that echoes the chipotle but also sweetness. Feel free to use your leftover grilled corn.
• Avocado – Buttery, creamy, and rich, this adds delicate texture and flavor.
• Red Onion – Gives both a little crunch and also an assertive, savory pop.
• Queso Fresco – This crumbly cheese is mild, soft, and slightly tangy. It has a similar texture to feta, but isn’t as salty.Cheddar cheese makes a great swap if that’s what you have.
• Cilantro / Parsley – Fresh parsley is a wonderful alternative if cilantro isn’t your thing. It brings the same fresh, herbaceous lift.
• Sour Cream/Mayo – The base for the dressing. You can use straight sour cream as written, swap it entirely for mayonnaise, or do half sour cream and half mayo for extra creaminess. All three work beautifully.
• Lime – Just one squeeze of fresh lime juice brightens the entire dressing.
• Chipotle in Adobo – This smoked jalapeno comes in a can with a vinegar based sauce. While it does have a kick it also adds that mysterious ingredient of smoke.
• Cumin – A single teaspoon of this earthy spice ties the whole dressing together.

How to Make Tex-Mex Summer Pasta Salad

The only actual cooking involved for making the pasta salad recipe is simply cooking the pasta. The rest is just chopping and mixing. This is perfect for both making ahead but also if you need a last minute quick side.

Variations

• Make it completely gluten free by using your favorite GF pasta.
• Like things spicy? Add another chipotle or stir in some diced fresh jalapeño.
• Stir in black olives and cheddar cheese for a heartier, diner-style twist on this mexican pasta salad — it’s delicious.
• Add a splash of italian dressing alongside the chipotle lime dressing for extra zip and depth.
• Replace the sour cream with mayonnaise or a blend of mayo and sour cream if you prefer a richer, creamier dressing.
• Swap the cilantro for fresh parsley if you want a milder herb flavor.
• To turn this into a main course, fold in diced grilled chicken or shrimp.

Storage

This is a fantastic make-ahead dish — like all great cold pasta salad recipes, the flavors only deepen as it rests. If making ahead, hold off on the avocado until you’re ready to serve to prevent browning. Without the avocado, it keeps for up to five days in an airtight container in the fridge. If you’re transporting it to a cookout, cover the large bowl tightly with plastic wrap to keep it fresh.

Once the avocado goes in, even with the lime juice in the dressing, it will begin to oxidize — keep it covered and refrigerated and plan to eat within three days.

Once you’ve added the avocado, even with the lime in the dressing, the avocado will begin to oxidize. Keep it cover and refrigerated and it will keep for up to three days.

Top Tip for Tex-Mex Summer Pasta Salad

No one likes over cooked pasta. When boiling your pasta for pasta salad, you want to cook it for al dente, meaning it still has a little bite to it. Drain it well and then give it a rinse under cold water. Unlike pasta that’s added into sauces such as marinara, you don’t need the extra starch coating the pasta to bring the dish together. This also allows you to cook the pasta well in advance and then mix together the pasta salad when you’re ready.

If you decide to cook your pasta ahead of time, let it drain completely and then transfer it to an airtight container. If kept refrigerated it will last for a week.