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Mexican Taco Pasta Salad

Mexican taco pasta salad with taco-seasoned ground beef, cheddar, and crunchy toppings in a creamy ranch-salsa dressing. Chilled until the flavors meld, then topped with Doritos, lettuce, sour cream, and cilantro.
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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: 950
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

pasta shells
  • 1 lb pasta shells use dry pasta
ground beef
  • 1 lb ground beef
taco seasoning
  • 1 taco seasoning packet
cheddar cheese
  • 2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded shredded
cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
corn kernels
  • 1 cup corn kernels
black beans
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained
red onion
  • 0.5 cup red onion, diced
ranch dressing
  • 1 cup ranch dressing
salsa
  • 0.25 cup salsa
Doritos
  • 2 cup Doritos, crushed crushed
lettuce for serving
  • 1 lettuce for serving
sour cream for serving
  • 1 sour cream for serving
cilantro for serving
  • 1 cilantro for serving

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Cook the pasta and beef
  1. Cook the pasta shells according to package directions, then drain and rinse with cold water until chilled. This stops the cooking so the shells stay firm.
  2. Brown the ground beef in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, then stir in the taco seasoning. Cook according to the seasoning packet directions until the beef is fully cooked and the mixture looks evenly coated.
Make the dressing
  1. Mix the ranch dressing with the salsa in a bowl until smooth and evenly colored. Look for a consistent creamy pink-orange swirl throughout.
Assemble and chill
  1. Combine the cooked pasta shells, taco-seasoned ground beef, cheddar cheese, cherry tomatoes, corn, black beans, and red onion in a large bowl. Toss just enough to distribute the ingredients evenly.
  2. Pour the ranch-salsa dressing over the salad and toss to coat every bite. The salad should look glossy with a light creamy coating.
  3. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to let the flavors meld and the salad set up. It should feel cold all the way through before topping.
Top and serve
  1. Top the chilled salad with crushed Doritos for crunch. Add them right before serving so they don’t soften.
  2. Finish with lettuce, sour cream, and cilantro. Serve immediately for the most fresh, bright contrast.

Notes

Pro tip: rinse the pasta in cold water and chill the assembled salad before adding Doritos to keep maximum crunch. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days; freeze is not recommended because the dressing and toppings can lose texture. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat ranch and a lower-sodium taco seasoning packet.