There’s no need to heat the kitchen with this Southwest Pasta Salad. It’s loaded with beans, veggies, chicken, cheese, and a cilantro-lime dressing.

This pasta salad serves 12 and costs about $17.31 to make. That works out to about $1.45 per serving. This is one of those pasta salads that taste even better the next day! 

Southwest Pasta Salad with Cilantro-Lime Dressing

Southwest Pasta Salad Recipe

After a long day at the pool or beach, the last thing that I want to do is stand over a hot stove to make dinner. Pasta salads make dinner easy during the summer. You can make a pasta salad in the morning when it’s nice and cool and then enjoy them later in the day for lunch or dinner. Easy salads like this one are kind of my “breakfast for dinner” alternative during the summer.

Pasta salads should be packed full of flavor and not bland and unforgettable. This recipe is zesty, delicious, and packed with so many flavorful ingredients. When I bring it to a potluck, folks always ask for the recipe. 

This Southwest Pasta Salad combines my love of something quick and easy to make in the summer and my LOVE for Southwest flavors. Take this to your next BBQ, potluck, or family gathering, and it will be one of the first dishes gone. 

Add toppings and serve.

What is the best pasta for pasta salad?

For this recipe, I use Gemelli pasta, but any medium-sized pasta will work. Use pasta that has nooks and crannies.

Think the opposite of spaghetti noodles. You want something like rotini, bowtie, penne, or spiral pasta. The folds and pockets in the pasta give lots of spots to hold onto the dressing, herbs, and delicious bits of veggies and cheese. 

Can you make pasta salad the day before?

Absolutely! That is the beauty of pasta salad recipes. A bonus to making these the day before is that they often taste better as they sit in the refrigerator. 

What goes good with pasta salad?

Here are a few of my favorite things to serve with this Southwest Pasta Salad:

How to make Southwest Pasta Salad:

STEPS 1 & 2: First, cook the pasta and place it in an extra-large bowl to toss with lime zest. Next, make the cilantro-lime dressing. 

How to Make Southwest Pasta Salad with Cilantro-Lime Dressing

STEPS 3 & 4: Add the veggies to the pasta. Mix everything until combined. 

Picture collage of recipe steps with text overlay.

STEPS 5 & 6: Then add the dressing and toss until coated. Cover and chill at least 2 hours before serving. Finally, right before serving top with cheese, avocado, and tortilla strips. 

Picture collage of recipe steps with text overlay.

How much will this Southwest Pasta Salad recipe cost to make? 

RECIPE COST: $17.31

PER SERVING COST: $1.45

NOTE: The recipe prices are calculating by using name brand products from grocery store websites. The actual cost of the recipe will vary.

  • 1 Pound Gemelli pasta or any other medium-shaped pasta $1.38
  • zest of 4 limes $0.40
  • 14-ounces canned black beans $0.86
  • 14-ounces canned garbanzo beans $0.86 
  • 4 large Roma tomatoes $1.04
  • 2 large red bell peppers $2.76
  • 4 green onions $0.40
  • 1 1/2 cups frozen corn $0.63
  • 3 cups diced chicken $1.99
  • 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese $1.39
  • 1/2 cup fresh lime juice $0.52
  • 1/2 cup white wine vinegar $0.11
  • 6 garlic cloves $0.30
  • 1 Tablespoon chili powder $0.08
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin $0.06
  • 1 teaspoon salt $0.01
  • 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar $0.04
  • 1 1/4 cups extra virgin olive oil $2.90
  • 1 cup roughly chopped cilantro $0.96
  • 2 large avocados $1.36
  • 1/2 cup tortilla strips $0.64

Cook’s Note:

  • This pasta salad makes a TON! We usually have it for dinner twice during the week and then enjoy the rest for lunches. It makes 12 main-dish servings or 24-30 side-dish servings. You can cut this recipe in half if needed.
  • Make sure you have an extra-large bowl to mix this pasta salad in because you’ll need it!

Southwest Pasta Salad with Cilantro-Lime Dressing in a white serving bowl.

Cook’s Tools:

pasta pot

large serving bowl

zester

high-powered blender

More Pasta Salad Recipes: 

Close up overhead picture of the finished southwest pasta salad.
4.80 from 5 votes

Southwest Pasta Salad

Author Jillian - a Food, Folks and Fun original!
Recipe Cost $ 17.31
Serving Cost $ 1.45
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes
12 people
There’s no need to heat up the kitchen with this Southwest Pasta Salad. It’s loaded with beans, veggies, chicken, cheese, and a cilantro-lime dressing.

Equipment

  • pasta pot
  • Large serving bowl
  • zester
  • high-powered blender

Ingredients
 
 

PASTA SALAD:

  • 1 lb Gemelli pasta or any other medium-shaped pasta
  • 4 limes zested
  • 14 oz can black beans rinsed and drained
  • 14 oz can garbanzo beans rinded and drained
  • 4 large Roma tomatoes diced
  • 2 large red bell peppers diced
  • 4 green onions chopped
  • 1 ½ cups frozen corn
  • 3 cups cooked and diced chicken
  • 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese

CILANTRO-LIME DRESSING:

  • ½ cup fresh lime juice
  • ½ cup white wine vinegar
  • 6 large garlic cloves peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 ¼ cups extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup roughly chopped cilantro

GARNISHES:

  • 2 large avocados peeled and diced
  • ½ cup tortilla strips
  • lime wedges
  • freshly chopped cilantro

Instructions

COOK PASTA:

  • Cook pasta according to package instructions, and drain and rinse with cold water. Place pasta in extra-large bowl and toss with lime zest.
    A bowl of Southwest Pasta Salad

MAKE CILANTRO-LIME DRESSING:

  • Add lime juice, vinegar, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, and sugar to a blender, and blend until smooth. With blender on low, slowly add the oil in a steady stream until incorporated and slightly thickened. Add the cilantro and pulse until combined.
    Add all of the dressing ingredients into a blender and blend.

FINISH PASTA SALAD:

  • Add black beans, garbanzo beans, tomatoes, diced pepper, green onions, corn, and chicken to the bowl with pasta.
    Add all of the veggies and beans to the pasta.
  • Toss until combined.
    Tass the veggies and pasta together.
  • Add dressing and stir until the dressing is evenly coated over the pasta. Cover and chill at least 2 hours before serving.
    Add the dressing and toss until coated. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours.
  • Right before serving, top with cheese, avocado, and tortilla strips. Garnish with extra lime wedges and chopped cilantro.
    Overhead picture of southwest pasta salad in a glass serving bowl.

Notes

This recipe will serve 12 as a main dish and 24-30 as a side dish. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5cup | Calories: 427kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 530mg | Potassium: 743mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1499IU | Vitamin C: 55mg | Calcium: 126mg | Iron: 3mg

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More Quick and Easy Recipes: 

This Southwest Pasta Salad first appeared on Food Folks and Fun on June 7, 2013. I have since updated the pictures and added a recipe video. One of the original images is below. Southwest Pasta Salad in a large white serving bowl.

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Recipe Rating




16 Comments

  1. Looks great. I am always looking for new pasta salad recipes to try.

    1. Thanks, Ruth. It’s a great summer-time recipe.

      1. Just wanted to let you know that it what well liked. We had a party and there was a 1 year old and she ate a ton of it.

        1. Ruth, I’m so glad it was a hit. 🙂

  2. Does the dressing for southwest pasta salad call for 1/4 olive oil or 1 and 1/4 cup?

    1. Sorry for the late reply, it calls for 1 and 1/4 cups olive oil.

  3. I’m always looking for recipes with beans! My kiddo doesn’t really like meat.

  4. This was a really different take on pasta salad and I loved it!!

  5. This was just as pretty as it was delicious. The whole family loved it!

  6. Krystal Longmore says:

    This is so good I love the ingredients they go well together and it melts in your mouth , oh yummy

  7. Katie Bellamy says:

    Yum! This would be great for the next cookout!

  8. Doris Huddleston says:

    I love pasta and I love spicy foods so this looks like something that fits both! SOUTHWEST PASTA SALAD

  9. Katie Bellamy says:

    I love me some pasta salad! This looks delish!

    1. Mya Murphy says:

      Pasta is SO much fun and flavorful! Not to mention, versatile. I love the sound of this yummy looking recipe!!

  10. Wanda Tracey says:

    Oh boy how I love salads and this one looks amazing. My family will really enjoy it. Thanks for sharing.

  11. Rosanne Robinso says:

    I love pasta salads and love that this one can be used for pot luck meals, thx!