I don’t know about you, but I feel like my family eats a ton of spaghetti and lots of tacos, mostly because they are family friendly, tasty, quick and economical. Personally, I get bored with the same-old, same-old for dinner so I try to mix it up when I can. This dish marries two of our favorites together — tacos and pasta! This would be a great “meatless Monday” dinner or as a side dish. We love it served with grilled chicken as our main course too. One of my boys says we should call it “Paco Salad,” mashing “pasta” and “taco” together. Whatever you want to call it, it’s delish! ~Kathy
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. orecchiette (ear shaped) or medium shell pasta
- 1 can (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 c frozen corn, thawed and drained
- ½ c. (loosely packed) cilantro
- 1 c. cherry or grape tomatoes, roughly chopped
- ¼ c. red onion, finely diced
- 1 jar (15.5 oz) salsa (roughly 1 2/3 c) – I used Tostitos Restaurant Style
- ¼ c. olive oil
- 3 T. lime juice
- 3 T. taco seasoning, dry
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Hass avocado, ripe but slightly firm, diced
- 2/3 c. cheddar cheese, diced to about 1/4” cubes (a good ww friendly option is Cabot sharp light cheddar 50% reduced fat)*
Instructions:
- Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain, rinse in cool water and set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, add the pasta, beans, corn, cilantro, onion, tomatoes and salsa. Mix gently together.
- In a small bowl whisk olive oil, lime juice, garlic and taco seasoning. Mix well. Pour over pasta and mix to coat.
- Gently fold in cheese and avocado just before serving.
WW Freestyle Info.: Makes 12 one-cup servings at 7 points each. You could also add grilled chicken breast for zero ww points if desired!
Taco Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- ~1 lb. orecchiette (ear shaped) or medium shell pasta
- ~1 can (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- ~1 c frozen corn, thawed and drained
- ~½ c. (loosely packed) cilantro
- ~1 c. cherry or grape tomatoes, roughly chopped
- ~¼ c. red onion, finely diced
- ~1 jar (15.5 oz) salsa (roughly 1 2/3 c) – I used Tostitos Restaurant Style
- ~¼ c. olive oil
- ~3 T. lime juice
- ~3 T. taco seasoning, dry
- ~2 cloves garlic, minced
- ~1 Hass avocado, ripe but slightly firm, diced
- ~2/3 c. cheddar cheese, diced to about 1/4” cubes (a good ww friendly option is Cabot sharp light cheddar 50% reduced fat)*
Instructions
- Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain, rinse in cool water and set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, add the pasta, beans, corn, cilantro, onion, tomatoes and salsa. Mix gently together.
- In a small bowl whisk olive oil, lime juice, garlic and taco seasoning. Mix well. Pour over pasta and mix to coat.
- Gently fold in cheese and avocado just before serving.
- Makes 12 one-cup servings. You could add grilled chicken breast for zero ww points if desired!
Notes
WW info.: Makes 12 one-cup servings at 7 points each.