Recipe: Fiesta Pasta Salad

Everyone knows I love no-brainer, mimimal ingredient recipes so this fits the bill perfectly. I'm not one for raw vegetables, but in this recipe, it gives it a flavorful kick! This fiesta pasta salad is the perfect pair for those upcoming summer barbeques. Enjoy!

Fiesta Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 package (16 oz.) spiral pasta
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 envelope taco seasoning
• 2 cups (8 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 large green pepper, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1 bottle (16 oz.) Catalina salad dressing

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. While that is boiling, cook ground beef in a skillet over medium heat.
2. Drain meat and add water and taco seasoning. Simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes.
3. Rinse pasta in cold water and drain. Place in a large bowl.
4. Add ground beef mixture, cheese, green pepper, onion, and tomato. Add the dressing and mix well. Enjoy!

You can refrigerate the pasta salad for at least an hour before serving. Just put aside a little bit of dressing to stir into the salad just before serving to re-coat any dry spots. I like to top the pasta salad with cheese when serving, but my family is cheese lovers. You can also play around with the portions. Mahal and JAM eat like linebackers but aren't too fond of the fresh veggies so I add double meat and pasta noodles while maintaining the same dressing and veggie portions requested by the recipe. Sometimes I minimize the onions a little bit if Mahal requests it. Having fresh veggies means strong flavors from the green pepper and onion so I cater to my audience. Give it a try and let me know how it turns out!

What are your go-to pasta salad recipes?