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Home > Recipes > Side

Taco Pasta Salad

Written by Chrisy | 04/13/18

Recipes Side beef pasta salad video

Traditional taco pasta salad made with spiral pasta, ground beef, sweet tomatoes, veggies, plenty of cheese, and topped with sweet Catalina dressing. Classics are classic for a reason, and this fan-favorite recipe proves it!

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Taco Pasta Salad! Traditional taco pasta salad made with spiral pasta, ground beef, sweet tomatoes, veggies, plenty of cheese, and topped with sweet Catalina dressing. Classics are classic for a reason, and this fan-favorite recipe proves it! | HomemadeHooplah.com

About Taco Pasta Salad

Whether you’re planning a summer BBQ or are just in need a simple side dish, taco pasta salad is always a solid choice. Between the tender pasta, fresh veggies, and the melody of flavors, it’s a great dish to have in your recipe arsenal not only because it’s easy, but because everyone always loves it.

I get compliments every time I make this, and what better endorsement is that?

And because it’s so good, I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve made this pasta salad as a last-minute offering for a house party. I’ve even whipped it up as an easy lunch to help get me through the week.

This recipe is a classic, and it’s classic because it’s so good.

Taste of Home taco pasta salad.

What’s in taco pasta salad?

While there are a couple different recipes floating around the internet, I tend to prefer classic taco pasta salad. It’s the pasta salad I remember from my childhood and is always a hit at parties. To make it, there are six core ingredients:

1 – Spiral pasta. You can always use any pasta that you like, but this pasta salad is best with spiral pasta. I like to go with rotini pasta since it’s easy to find and made by most popular brands.

2 – Ground beef. Just like a classic taco, this pasta dish is made with ground beef. However, you could easily substitute this for another ground meat, or even use cooked chicken or shrimp. Essentially any meat that goes well with taco seasoning will work well in this pasta.

3 – Taco seasoning. This just wouldn’t be a taco pasta salad without a little taco seasoning. You can either use storebought seasoning or make your own.

4 – Veggies. No taco is complete without a round of fresh veggies, particularly leafy lettuce and red tomatoes. Both are present in this pasta salad, as well as chopped yellow onion and green pepper.

5 – Cheese. You can use any cheese you like, but I’ve found classic cheddar cheese to work the best.

6 – Catalina Dressing. Proper taco pasta salad has a slightly sweet taste, and that comes from the Catalina salad dressing. Like the taco seasoning, you can either use a storebought sauce or make your own.

What can you serve with taco pasta salad?

This pasta salad packs a lot of flavors, so when choosing a main dish, stick with something on the milder side. A few of my favorites:

  • Fried Tomato BLT Sliders
  • Apricot Chicken & Couscous Stuffed Peppers
  • Baked Piri Piri Chicken Wings
  • Crock Pot Bourbon Chicken

Notes & this for this pasta salad

  • If you don’t already have one, you’ll need an extra large bowl to mix all of the ingredients together.

More tasty salad recipes

Summer Corn and Chickpea Salad

    Strawberry Caprese Salad with Balsamic Chicken

      The Best Egg Salad

        Chicken Salad with Grapes

          How to make taco pasta salad

          This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. If you’re looking for the full recipe measurements and instructions, scroll down to Recipe Details.

          Step 1 – Cook pasta per package instructions. When finished, rinse pasta thoroughly with cool water to stop the cooking process. Drain pasta, place in a bowl, cover, then set aside.

          Step 2 – Cook and crumble ground beef until no longer pink, then drain any excess grease. Place in a bowl, cover, then set aside to cool.

          Step 3 – When ready to mix, add the cooked pasta, cooked ground beef in an extra large bowl. Add taco seasoning on top, then stir thoroughly.

          Taco Pasta Salad Step 3 - Add cooked pasta. Taco Pasta Salad Step 3 - Add cooked ground beef. Taco Pasta Salad Step 3 - Add taco seasoning.Taco Pasta Salad Step 3 - Mix ingredients. Taco Pasta Salad Step 3 - Mix ingredients together thoroughly.

          Step 4 – Add lettuce, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, green pepper, and onion to bowl. Drizzle Catalina sauce on top, then mix thoroughly.

          Taco Pasta Salad Step 4 - Add lettuce. Taco Pasta Salad Step 4 - Add cheddar cheese. Taco Pasta Salad Step 4 - Add sliced cherry tomatoes.  Taco Pasta Salad Step 4 - Add chopped green pepper. Taco Pasta Salad Step 4 - Add chopped yellow onion. Taco Pasta Salad Step 4 - Add Catalina dressing. Taco Pasta Salad Step 4 - Mix together. Taco Pasta Salad Step 4 - Mix ingredients thoroughly.

          Step 5 – Serve and enjoy!

          Classic taco pasta salad with Catalina dressing.

          Recipe Details

          PRINT THIS RECIPE
          RATING:
          3.36 from 14 votes
          Taco Pasta Salad! Traditional taco pasta salad made with spiral pasta, ground beef, sweet tomatoes, veggies, plenty of cheese, and topped with sweet Catalina dressing. Classics are classic for a reason, and this fan-favorite recipe proves it! | HomemadeHooplah.com

          Taco Pasta Salad

          Traditional taco pasta salad made with spiral pasta, ground beef, sweet tomatoes, veggies, plenty of cheese, and topped with sweet Catalina dressing. Classics are classic for a reason, and this fan-favorite recipe proves it!

          Prep: 45 minutes
          Cook: 20 minutes
          Calories: 480 kcal
          Yields: 8 servings

          Ingredients

          • 16 oz rotini pasta uncooked
          • 1 pound ground beef
          • 1 oz taco seasoning (1 pkg)
          • 3 cups shredded lettuce
          • 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
          • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
          • 1/2 cup yellow onion chopped
          • 1/2 cup green pepper chopped
          • 1/2 cup Catalina dressing
          US Customary - Metric

          Instructions

          1. In a large saucepan, cook spiral pasta per package instructions. Drain pasta and rinse with cold water. Place pasta in a bowl, cover, and set aside.
          2. In a large skillet, cook and crumble ground beef over medium heat over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain grease, cover, then set aside to cool.
          3. In a large bowl, add cooked pasta and ground beef. Sprinkle taco seasoning on top, then mix thoroughly to coat pasta and beef.
          4. Add lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cheddar cheese, onion, and green pepper to bowl with pasta mixture. Drizzle Catalina dressing on top, then mix thoroughly.
          5. Serve taco salad immediately. Taco salad can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

          Recipe Notes

          Recipe lightly adapted from Taste of Home.

          Nutrition

          480kcal | Fat: 19g | Saturated fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 615mg | Potassium: 443mg | Carbohydrates: 52g | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Protein: 21g | Vitamin A: 16.5% | Vitamin C: 23.1% | Calcium: 13.5% | Iron: 14.3%
          I do my best to provide nutrition information, but please keep in mind that I'm not a certified nutritionist. Any nutritional information discussed or disclosed in this post should only be seen as my best amateur estimates of the correct values.

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          Recipe shared by Chrisy

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          Reader Interactions

          Comments

          1. Regina
            04/16/18
            Reply

            I’d be all over this salad if someone brought it to a cookout!! Maybe I should be that someone 😉

          2. Eileen Ritchie
            06/30/18
            Reply

            What is Catalina sauce ??
            I live in Australia and have not heard of this 😊

            • SHELLEY MARINO
              06/30/18
              Reply

              A SPICIER FRENCH DRESSING

          3. Tom Jackson
            08/04/18
            Reply

            Print button doesn’t work on PC computer.

          4. Kathy Estes
            08/05/18
            Reply

            Can’t wait to try this. Looks great!!

          5. Nancy
            08/07/18
            Reply

            I made this recipe tonight. It was good. Definitely a party salad. It makes a lot.

          6. Nancy
            09/02/18
            Reply

            This was just ok, much better the next day BUT then the tomatoes and salad aren’t fresh anymore.

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