suemunzlinger's Recipe

Southwestern Pasta Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing

Category: Side dish

Ingredients:


For the salad:

8 ounces pasta (I used Rotini)
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup grape tomatoes
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup diced orange or yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup sweet corn (can use frozen corn)
1 large avocado, peeled, seeded, and diced
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 lime, for juicing over the salad
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves

For the Creamy Avocado Dressing:

2 ripe avocados, peeled and seeded
3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
1 small jalapeno pepper, chopped, veins and seeds removed (If you want it hot, leave seeds in)
2-3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:


1 Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and stir in the pasta. Cook until al dente. Rinse with cold water and set aside.

2 While the pasta is cooking, make the Creamy Avocado Dressing. Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

3 In a large bowl, combine pasta, black beans, tomatoes, peppers, red onion, corn, and chopped avocado. Pour dressing over pasta salad and stir until salad is well coated. Season with salt and pepper. Squeeze fresh lime juice over the salad, so the avocados don't brown. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve at room temperature or chilled.

Note-you may have leftover dressing, depending on how "dressed" you like your pasta salad. If the dressing is too thick, add more buttermilk.