Mexican Pasta Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing

Rating: 4.44 stars
9 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 4
  • 4 star values: 5
  • 3 star values: 0
  • 2 star values: 0
  • 1 star values: 0

Everyone will love this Mexican-inspired pasta salad recipe. We lighten up the creamy dressing with avocado for a healthier version of a picnic favorite.

Breana Killeen

Gallery

Recipe Summary

total:
20 mins
Servings:
6
Nutrition Profile:
Low-Calorie
High Fiber
Vegetarian
Low Sodium
Nut-Free
Soy-Free
Low Added Sugars
Nutrition Info
Advertisement

Ingredients

Dressing
Pasta Salad

Directions

  • To prepare dressing: Combine avocado, mayonnaise, lime juice, garlic, salt and cumin in a mini food processor. Puree until smooth.

    Advertisement

  • To prepare pasta salad: Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water, then drain again. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in tomatoes, beans, corn, Cheddar, onion and cilantro. Add the dressing and toss to coat.

Tips

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate, without dressing, for up to 1 day. Toss with the dressing about 1 hour before serving.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 cup
Per Serving:
290 calories; protein 8.4g 17% DV; carbohydrates 37.1g 12% DV; exchange other carbs 2.5; dietary fiber 6.2g 25% DV; sugars 2.6g; fat 12.8g 20% DV; saturated fat 3.3g 17% DV; cholesterol 13.5mg 5% DV; vitamin a iu 401.5IU 8% DV; vitamin c 8.7mg 15% DV; folate 37.6mcg 9% DV; calcium 80mg 8% DV; iron 0.6mg 4% DV; magnesium 16.1mg 6% DV; potassium 254.2mg 7% DV; sodium 343.1mg 14% DV; thiamin 0.1mg 7% DV.
Exchanges:

2 fat, 1/2 vegetable, 2 starch, 1/2 high-fat protein

Reviews (8)

Read More Reviews
9 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 4
  • 4 star values: 5
  • 3 star values: 0
  • 2 star values: 0
  • 1 star values: 0
Reviews:
Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest
h.mckune@yahoo.com
Rating: 5 stars
06/07/2017
great! the only change i made was that I used a little less pasta. Read More
Emma Rogan
Rating: 5 stars
06/03/2019
Delicious! Loved this recipe! The dressing is really incredible. Could have made a little extra to serve on the side. Definitely will make again! Read More
Karen Garner Rivoira
Rating: 5 stars
08/02/2018
I serve this filling flavorful salad as a main course and toss in a couple of tablespoons of roasted sunflower seeds to add extra protein and a little crunch. The Avocado-Lime dressing compliments not only this salad but also countless others as well...try it in place of plain mayo in your egg salad or toss your Caesar salad with it for something deliciously different. I rate this recipe among my top 10 favorites! Read More
Advertisement
Kristina Wilenski
Rating: 4 stars
10/07/2018
It's pretty good. I added some extras like bacon and more corn and beans. Overall it's a good healthy pasta. But not a huge "flavor" pasta. Read More
thersrud
Rating: 4 stars
05/09/2017
Easy to make and the avocado dressing is yummy but a little too tart. I topped it with grilled chicken for a one dish meal. Next time around I'll reduce the lime juice and increase the cumin. Definitely will make this again. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
07/24/2016
Very good and easy to make esp in hot weather. For extra protein a can of salmon or tuna makes a good addition. Read More
Advertisement
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
05/09/2016
So delicious! I made this pasta salad for Mother's Day. Everyone loved it. The Avocado dressing really makes this salad. I did not use fresh cilantro because my husband does not like it but the salad was good without it. Pros: very easy to make healthy ingredients Read More
Deborah
Rating: 5 stars
07/01/2017
I will try this when my cherry tomatoes come in. In my garden I also have cilantro growing and garlic so the recipe is very easy thank you very much I will try this very soon looks very yummy and is very easy I will not change a thing Read More
© Copyright 2020 eatingwell.com. All rights reserved. Printed from http://www.eatingwell.com 10/28/2020