Food Recipes Southwestern Pasta Salad 4.0 (16) 2 Reviews Say goodbye to gloopy mayonnaise-covered pasta salads. We put an avocado to work to create an irresistibly creamy dressing, that won’t have any of the mayonnaise-haters running for the dusky hills. The only drawback is that the dressing will oxidize after a little while and go gray. Don’t worry, the salad will be no less delicious, but plan on serving this within an hour or two of making it. For a little heat, add thinly sliced fresh jalapeños or even some drained pickled ones. Or if you really want to turn up the temperature, add a can of chopped green chilies to the dressing before blending. By Adam Dolge Adam Dolge Adam Dolge has spent his professional life creating the recipes that feed millions of Americans. For nearly two years, Adam worked for the Meredith Food Studio (now the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios) in Birmingham, Alabama, testing and developing recipes for Real Simple and other brands, including Cooking Light, Southern Living, Food & Wine, People, and Health. He currently works as the lead recipe developer for EatingWell. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines and Mark Driskill Updated on March 31, 2017 Rate PRINT Share Close All your favorite taco night fixings, tossed with chewy pasta and a creamy avocado vinaigrette. This salad is a great way to pack the same flavors your family loves into a different package. The avocado dressing might oxidize overnight, so don’t worry if your lunch looks a little lackluster come Monday. It’ll still taste just as good. For an extra treat, top it with a small handful of crushed tortilla chips. Get the recipe:Southwestern Pasta Salad. Photo: Greg DuPree Hands On Time: 35 mins Total Time: 35 mins Yield: Serves 4 (serving size: 1⅔ cups) Ingredients 8 ounces campanelle or other short pasta 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus more for pasta water ¾ cup olive oil ½ cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems ¼ cup fresh lime juice (from about 2 limes) 1 ripe avocado, halved, divided ½ teaspoon black pepper, divided 1 15.5-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved 1 cup fresh corn kernels (from about 3 ears) or 1 frozen corn, thawed 5 scallions, thinly sliced Directions Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes; drain and rinse pasta under cold water to cool. Meanwhile, combine olive oil, cilantro, lime juice, ½ of the avocado, ½ teaspoon of the salt, ¼ teaspoon of the pepper and ¼ cup of water in a blender and process until smooth, scraping down sides as needed. Combine pasta and avocado dressing in a large bowl and toss to combine. Add beans, tomatoes, corn, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper; toss well. Thinly slice remaining half of avocado. Serve salad topped with scallions and avocado. Rate It Print