Angela's Sombrero Pasta Salad
Delicious summer time pasta salad. I love making this during the school year because I can easily take it to school for lunch. Yummy!
Delicious summer time pasta salad. I love making this during the school year because I can easily take it to school for lunch. Yummy!
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 pkg taco seasoning
- 1 can black beans rinsed
- 1 16 oz pkg spiral (vegetable) pasta cooked and drained
- 1 medium bell pepper (any color)
- 1 can mexi corn
- 10-15 grape tomatoes halved
- 2 cups finely shredded cheddar cheese (i love sharp cheddar)
- 1 16 oz catalina salad dressing (you could use the low fat version, but i use the original version)
- Carbohydrate 110.076317171146 g
- Cholesterol 81.95635116 mg
- Fat 36.2560406306226 g
- Fiber 21.7037316141192 g
- Protein 21.0175124551819 g
- Saturated Fat 9.7183838286755 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (326g)
- Sodium 8471.23558508782 mg
- Sugar 88.372585557027 g
- Trans Fat 22.6076664531032 g
- Calories 797 calories
Step-by-step
- Brown hamburger meat and drain fat; add taco seasoning and cook according to the package directions.
- Mix all ingredients together except the salad dressing.
- When mixed well, you could pour the dressing all over the salad and mix well, BUT I like to leave it out and allow others to pour it on themselves or when I want to eat it freshly pour it on top.
- Chill 1 hour before serving.
Substituting ground turkey or textured vegetable protein for ground beef alters the fat profile significantly, reducing rendered saturated fats that solidify unpleasantly upon chilling. Pasta starches continue to absorb moisture during refrigeration, meaning dressing quantities must be managed carefully if preparing more than 24 hours in advance. Keeping the Catalina dressing separate until serving prevents the spiral pasta from becoming waterlogged, preserving the structural integrity of the bell pepper and tomato pieces.
Ground beef must be fully browned over medium-high heat and drained thoroughly through a colander to remove excess grease before mixing with starches. Rinsing canned black beans under cold water removes excess canning liquid, which prevents starches from turning murky and diluting the dressing flavors. Chill the assembled solid components for exactly 60 minutes at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit to allow the flavors to meld without over-softening the vegetables.
Acidic components in French-style dressings react with dairy fats to create a cohesive emulsion, coating the porous surfaces of spiral pasta shapes efficiently.
