Laura Lynch

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This post was first published on A Food Lover’s Kitchen.

This Corn & Black Bean Pasta Salad combines fusilli pasta with corn, black beans, bell pepper and cilantro for a Southwestern flair.

This is one of those salads that I always want to make for an cook out or barbecue. It’s always a favorite and gets eaten up quickly. It’s no wonder, because it combines all the great Southwestern flavors in one bowl, with a creamy sauce that ties it all together.

My family has been making a version of this salad for years, so it’s practically a summer classic for us at this point. I make it almost as often as this delicious Broccoli Salad or our favorite Smoked Mac & Cheese.

» You might also like these 22 Easy BBQ Side Dishes for Summer.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Fusilli pasta – You can substitute the fusilli with any corkscrew pasta, or a bowtie pasta or even simple macaroni noodles. It won’t change the taste of the salad, so feel free to use whatever you have on hand.
Corn – Canned corn has a good crunch and is a quick and easy way to enjoy corn.
Black Beans – Rinsed and drained
Cherry Tomatoes
Yellow or Red Bell Pepper – Chopped
Cilantro
Avocado – Add the diced avocado right before serving so that they are fresh and bright green.
Red pepper flakes – Optional
The dressing ingredients – Mayonnaise, lime (or lemon) juice, cumin , chili powder and salt.

All of these southwestern flavors combined into one salad is pure joy. This salad goes with just about any summer dish you’re serving. We serve it alongside our Marinated Grilled Chicken Thighs often, as well as with Tri Tip Steak and smoked chicken thighs.

How to Make Corn & Black Bean Pasta Salad

Start by boiling the pasta as directed on the package until al dente. Allow it to cool before adding it to a large bowl.

Add the other ingredients for the salad to the bowl, except the avocado and red pepper flakes. Stir this all together. You won’t want to add the avocado until just before serving, because it will get brown and soggy and ruin your salad.

Next you’ll make the sauce. Blend all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. The dressing should also be added to the salad just before serving. If you’re not serving the salad right away, store the salad and the dressing separately and put the dressing on within an hour of serving.

Add salt and pepper to taste as you’re stirring the dressing into the salad. This is very much up to personal preference, so add a little, stir, and taste, until you’ve added the right amount for you.

After you’ve incorporated the dressing into the salad, you can add the avocado and give it one last stir. Top each serving with a bit of red pepper flakes for some added heat.

The salad benefits from 30 minutes in the refrigerator before being served, so all the flavors have time to meld.

It will keep for just a day or two, if you have left overs, before it becomes a little watery. The avocado in the salad doesn’t keep well.

Tips and Notes

If you’re not serving the salad right away, store the salad and the dressing separately and put the dressing on within an hour of serving.
The salad benefits from 30 minutes in the refrigerator before being served, so all the flavors have time to meld.
You can substitute the fusilli with any corkscrew pasta, or a bowtie pasta or even simple macaroni noodles. It won’t change the taste of the salad, so feel free to use whatever you have on hand.

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