Go Back
Print

Mexican Macaroni Salad

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. uncooked rotini pasta
  • 2 TBS. grated lime peel
  • 4 TBS lime juice
  • 1 cup ranch dressing
  • 1 package taco seasoning mix
  • 1 large avocado chopped
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes chopped
  • 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
  • 3 TBS chopped cilantro
  • 1 can red kidney beans drained
  • 1 3.8 oz. can of sliced olives
  • 1 4.5 oz. can green chiles chopped

Instructions

  1. Cook the pasta, according to the directions.
  2. Rinse with cold water, drain.
  3. Grate the limes and place the peel in a bowl.
  4. Squeeze the juice from the limes and add to the bowl with the ranch dressing, taco seasoning, and chopped avocado. Stir.
  5. In a large bowl, toss the pasta with the remaining ingredients: cheese, olives, beans, cilantro, tomatoes, and chiles.
  6. Right before serving, pour the dressing on top and mix well.

Recipe Notes

Dressing on pasta usually absorbs in a few hours and loses a lot of flavor. As mentioned above, I recommend holding off on the dressing until you are ready to serve it within an hour or sooner.