Go Back

Taco Pasta Salad

Taco salad meets Mexican pasta in this ground beef pasta salad, tossed with cheese and a creamy ranch-salsa dressing. Chilled for hours so the flavors meld, then topped with crunchy crushed tortilla chips for contrast.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mexican-American
Calories: 690
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Taco Pasta Salad components
  • 1 lb pasta shells or rotini
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 packet taco seasoning
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup corn kernels
  • 0.5 cup red onion, diced
  • 1 cup ranch dressing
  • 0.25 cup salsa
  • 1 cup crushed tortilla chips
  • 1 lettuce for topping
  • 1 sour cream for topping
  • 1 cilantro for topping

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta and beef
  1. Cook the pasta shells or rotini according to package directions, then drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.
  2. Brown the ground beef in a skillet until cooked through, then stir in the taco seasoning according to package directions and cool the meat completely.
Mix the creamy dressing
  1. Mix the ranch dressing with the salsa until smooth and evenly combined.
Assemble and chill
  1. Combine pasta shells or rotini, ground beef, cheddar cheese, cherry tomatoes, corn kernels, and red onion in a large bowl.
  2. Pour the ranch-salsa dressing over the salad and toss to coat so everything is lightly creamy.
  3. Refrigerate the salad for at least 2 hours.
Serve with crunchy toppings
  1. Top the chilled salad with crushed tortilla chips, then add lettuce, sour cream, and cilantro right before serving.

Notes

Pro tip: rinse the pasta with cold water and fully cool the seasoned ground beef before mixing to keep the dressing from loosening. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; add tortilla chips and fresh toppings just before serving for best crunch. Freezing is not recommended since pasta and creamy dressing texture changes. For a lighter option, use low-fat ranch or Greek-yogurt ranch while keeping the rest the same.