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Taco Pasta Salad

Taco pasta salad with seasoned ground beef, melted cheddar, and a creamy ranch-salsa dressing. Cook the pasta, brown the beef, toss everything together, and chill for a scoopable Tex-Mex fiesta pasta texture.
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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: 740
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta and beef
  • 1 lb pasta shells or rotini
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 taco seasoning use one packet
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Vegetables and toppings
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup corn kernels
  • 0.5 cup red onion, diced
  • 1 cup crushed tortilla chips
  • lettuce for topping
  • sour cream for topping
  • cilantro for topping
Creamy dressing
  • 1 cup ranch dressing
  • 0.25 cup salsa

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Cook and cool the base
  1. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente, then drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.
  2. Brown the ground beef in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, then stir in taco seasoning according to package directions and cool completely before mixing.
Make the dressing and assemble
  1. Mix ranch dressing with salsa until smooth and evenly combined.
  2. In a large bowl, combine pasta, ground beef, cheddar cheese, cherry tomatoes, corn, and red onion.
  3. Pour the ranch-salsa dressing over the salad and toss to coat so every bite looks glossy.
Chill and finish
  1. Refrigerate the salad for at least 2 hours so the pasta absorbs the dressing.
  2. Before serving, top with crushed tortilla chips, lettuce, sour cream, and cilantro for fresh crunch and color.

Notes

Pro tip: cool the ground beef and pasta before combining—warm ingredients can melt cheese and loosen the dressing. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container up to 3 days; freeze is not recommended because the pasta and vegetables soften. For a lighter option, use low-fat or Greek-yogurt ranch in the creamy dressing while keeping the same salsa blend.