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–+ servings

Southwest Pasta Salad with Creamy Chipotle Dressing

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Equipment

Ingredients  

Creamy Dressing

  • 1.5 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1.5 tablespoons sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon guajillo and jalapeno hot sauce, see notes
  • 1 chipotle peppers in adobo
  • ½ teaspoon adobo sauce
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Pasta Salad

  • 7 ounces dried short pasta, such as bowtie
  • 2 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
  • 3 ounces roasted corn
  • 3 ounces canned black beans, rinsed and drained
  • ½ ounce sundried tomatoes, chopped
  • 1.5 ounces mini peppers, diced
  • 1 green onion, diced
  • 1 ounce black olives, drained of juices
  • 1 ounce jalapenos seeds removed
  • 1 ounce cojita cheese, finely grated
  • 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

Instructions 

  • In a large saucepan cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and rinse well to cool.
  • While pasta is cooking create the creamy dressing. Using an immersion blender blend the mayonnaise, sour cream, hot sauce, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, cumin, and salt in a small bowl. Blend until smooth then set aside.
  • In a large bowl combine the pasta, tomatoes, roasted corn, canned black beans, sundried tomatoes, mini peppers, green onion, black olives, and jalapenos. Toss to combine then add the creamy dressing and toss to coat ingredients evenly. Add cojita cheese, cilantro, and parsley, and give a final gentle toss to combine
  • Chill pasta salad for at least 1 hour before serving. Garnish with additional cilantro, parsley, and scallions then serve.

Notes

1. Reduce the number of chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, and/or hot sauce to make the creamy dressing less spicy.
2. Grated cojita cheese is sold in 8 to 16-ounce packages which is more than you need for this recipe. It freezes well in an air-tight container for up to 3 months. 
3. We used one of our new favorites Guajillo & Red Jalapeno Hot Sauce from Humble House for this recipe. You can substitute your favorite hot sauce but you might need to adjust the quantity based on personal preference.
4. Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. The nutritional value will vary based on the type of ingredients used (example: mayonnaise, sour cream, and short pasta). It does not include the nutrition for any substitutions or additions.
5. Be sure to check out the Key Ingredients along with the Recipe Tips and Notes sections found in the post, for more tips, options, substitutions, and variations for this recipe! You will also find step-by-step photos there.