Wagon Wheel Taco Pasta Salad

Apparently, this salad is famous, as it should be. Delicious fresh ingredients, Southwestern flavor profile, no mayonnaise; sounds like my kind of pasta salad. This was a big hit at a casual Sunday afternoon gathering of young couples from our church. It was a beautiful warm day, and there were veggie burgers on the grill and toddlers running around the yard. So far, this summer has been SO much better than last summer when we first moved here because we actually know people now. Cook-outs, concerts, church BBQs, etc. It's going to be a great summer!

Back to the pasta salad. All you have to do is look at the ingredients to know that this is going to be a hit. And who doesn't love eating fun pasta shapes? This makes a TON of food, making it perfect for a big cook-out or family reunion or whatever fun summer event you have coming up! I can guarantee you'll get several requests for the recipe.

Wagon Wheel Taco Pasta Salad
source: Cara's Cravings

Ingredients
1lb wagon wheel pasta
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 10oz package frozen corn, thawed (or with time to thaw)
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced (I omitted because I got lazy.)
8 oz shredded Mexican-blend cheese
1 1/2 cups salsa
1/2 cup olive oil
3-4 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp cumin
1-2 tsp chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
freshly ground salt & pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 avocado, diced

Preparation

Cook the pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.

In a large bowl, combine the black beans, corn, tomatoes, salsa, and cheese. Add the cooled pasta and mix well.

In another bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, garlic, cumin and chili powder. Pour over the pasta salad, add the cilantro, and mix well. Season to taste with salt & pepper.

Just before serving, stir in the diced avocado.