Cowboy Caviar Pasta Salad Recipe – inspired by our favorite dip! Cold pasta salad loaded with veggies, beans, and feta cheese and tossed in a light and tangy dressing. Flavorful, fresh, and hearty enough to feed a crowd. Pasta, bell peppers, onion, corn, black beans, black-eyed peas, Rotel, cilantro, olive oil, lime juice, chili powder, paprika, cumin, red wine vinegar, honey, and feta.
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Pin This RecipeEasy Pasta Salad Recipe
We turned our favorite Cowboy Caviar dip into the most amazing pasta salad! Tender pasta, peppers, beans, and feta cheese tossed in a tangy southwestern dressing. This Cowboy Caviar Pasta Salad has quickly become a favorite at our house. Is super easy to make and is packed full of great flavor! This is the perfect summer side dish for all of your upcoming cookouts and picnics!
How to Make Cowboy Caviar Pasta Salad
This side dish is super easy to make with only a few simple ingredients. Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Cook pasta according to the package instructions for al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water. In a large bowl combine bell peppers, red onion, corn, black beans, black-eyed peas, Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles, cilantro, and cooked pasta.
In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, lime juice, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, cumin, red wine vinegar, and honey. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Pour the dressing over the pasta and vegetables and toss to coat. Sprinkle with feta cheese. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Helpful Tips & Frequently Asked Questions
- You can use any shape of pasta that you prefer. Rotini, penne, fusilli, farfalle, and elbow macaroni all work great.
- Variations/Additions:
- rotisserie chicken
- olives
- cucumber
- cherry tomatoes
- mozzarella cheese
- parmesan cheese
- pesto
- bacon
- avocado
- basil
- jalapeños
- fresh herbs
- For a vegan version, omit the cheese and use vegan honey or maple syrup.
- How long does pasta salad in the fridge? The pasta will keep for 3 to 5 days.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
What to Serve with Macaroni Salad
We think this is the best pasta salad recipe! You can serve this as a side dish or main dish. This quick and easy recipe is perfect for meal prep, potlucks, and picnics. We love to serve this with burgers, hot dogs, grilled chicken, tortilla pinwheel sandwiches, or a chicken salad sandwich. Whip up a batch today! It is sure to become a favorite!
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Cowboy Caviar Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
- 8 -oz small shells pasta
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 yellow or orange bell pepper diced
- ½ red onion diced
- 1 (15-oz) can corn kernels drained
- 1 (15-oz) can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 (15-oz) can black eyed peas drained and rinsed
- 1 (10-oz) can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies, drained
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Pasta Salad Ingredients
- ½ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup lime juice
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp cumin
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 1½ Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1½ Tbsp honey
- 1 (4-oz) container feta cheese
Instructions:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Cook pasta according to package instructions for al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- In a large bowl, combine cooked pasta, chopped bell peppers, red onion, corn, black beans, black-eye peas, Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles, and cilantro.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, cumin, salt, black pepper, red wine vinegar, and honey.
- Pour dressing over pasta and vegetables. Toss to coat.
- Sprinkle feta cheese over the pasta salad.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Steph
Remember this recipe.
Pin this recipe to your favorite board now to remember it later!
Pin This Recipe
What a great idea! Can’t wait to try this. Thank you!