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Quick and Creamy Taco Pasta Salad: Your New Weeknight Dinner Hero

A close-up view of a serving of amazing taco pasta salad featuring rotini pasta, ground meat, diced tomatoes, black olives, and shredded cheese.
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This easy Taco Pasta Salad recipe brings bold Tex-Mex flavor to your table fast. It combines seasoned ground beef, tender pasta, fresh vegetables, and a creamy dressing, making it a guaranteed crowd-pleaser for potlucks, BBQs, or quick weeknight dinners.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound rotini pasta
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 packet (1 ounce) taco seasoning mix
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup ranch dressing
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
  • 1 cup chopped romaine lettuce
  • 1 cup chopped tomato
  • 1/2 cup chopped red onion
  • 1/2 cup sliced black olives
  • 1 cup crushed Doritos (optional, for topping)

Instructions

  1. Cook the rotini pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water to cool it down. Set aside.
  2. In a large skillet, cook the ground beef over medium heat until browned. Drain off any excess grease.
  3. Stir the taco seasoning and water into the cooked ground beef. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has mostly evaporated. Remove from heat and let the seasoned beef cool slightly.
  4. While the beef cools, prepare the dressing. In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, ranch dressing, red wine vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper until smooth.
  5. In a very large bowl, combine the cooled pasta, cooled seasoned ground beef, shredded cheese, chopped lettuce, chopped tomato, red onion, and black olives.
  6. Pour the creamy dressing over the pasta mixture. Toss everything gently until all ingredients are evenly coated.
  7. Cover the bowl and chill the Taco Pasta Salad in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to blend.
  8. Just before serving, sprinkle the crushed Doritos over the top for a satisfying crunch.

Notes

  • You can easily make this a make ahead salad; prepare it completely the day before, but save the Doritos topping until just before serving so they stay crisp.
  • For a lighter dressing, substitute half of the mayonnaise with plain Greek yogurt.
  • This recipe is highly customizable; feel free to add corn, bell peppers, or jalapeños for extra flavor.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://hungryhearld.com/taco-pasta-salad-recipe-quick-creamy/