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Vibrant Mexican Pasta Salad Recipe (Easy & Healthy)

This Mexican pasta salad is a colorful, easy-to-make, and healthy dish featuring whole wheat pasta, black beans, fresh vegetables, and a creamy lime-yogurt dressing.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 390 kcal

Equipment

  • Large Pot
  • Large serving bowl
  • Small bowl or measuring cup

Ingredients
  

Whole Wheat Pasta

  • 8 ounces whole wheat pasta bow tie, elbow, or similar

Corn

  • 2 cups corn cut from the cob, frozen and thawed, or canned

Reduced-Sodium Black Beans

  • 1 15-ounce can black beans drained and rinsed

Cherry Tomatoes

  • 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes

Avocados

  • 2 large avocados peeled, pitted, and diced

Green Onions

  • 3 whole green onions thinly sliced

Jalapeño

  • 1 large jalapeño cored, seeded, and diced

Cilantro

  • 1/3 cup chopped cilantro

Feta Cheese

  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt

  • 3/4 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Lime Zest

  • zest of 2 lime zest

Lime Juice

  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Tabasco Sauce

  • 1 teaspoon Tabasco or similar hot sauce

Kosher Salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Chili Powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Smoked Paprika

  • 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

Instructions
 

Prepare the pasta and salad base

  • Cook whole wheat pasta to al dente, rinse with cool water, and transfer to a large bowl.
  • Add corn, black beans, cherry tomatoes, avocados, green onions, jalapeño, and cilantro; stir gently to combine without mashing the avocado.

Make and add dressing

  • Whisk together Greek yogurt, olive oil, lime zest and juice, Tabasco, salt, chili powder, and smoked paprika until smooth.
  • Pour dressing over salad and toss gently; sprinkle feta cheese on top.

Chill or serve

  • Refrigerate salad for 2 hours to meld flavors, or serve immediately.

Notes

Use fire-roasted corn for smoky flavor; substitute parsley for cilantro if preferred; cotija cheese can replace feta; adjust jalapeño seeds for heat; use dairy-free yogurt and skip cheese for vegan option. Dice avocado last and toss with lime juice to prevent browning. Make dressing ahead for enhanced flavor. If dry after chilling, stir in yogurt and lime juice to refresh.