Cowboy Pasta Salad
This cowboy pasta salad is a hearty BBQ pasta salad loaded with sausage, bacon, beans, and a creamy smoky dressing that makes it perfect for potlucks or easy dinners.
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 457kcal
Ingredients
Dressing:
- ¾ cup spicy BBQ sauce or regular BBQ sauce
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 ounces can green chiles
Pasta Salad:
- 12 ounces box bowtie or rotini pasta cooked and cooled
- 1 pound ground sausage browned and crumbled
- 6 strips bacon cooked and crumbled
- 15 ounces can black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 cup frozen corn thawed
- 1 cup pepperjack cheese cubed
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- ½ red onion finely diced
- 1 cup yellow bell pepper diced
- ¼ cup chopped parsley plus more for optional garnish
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the BBQ sauce, mayonnaise, worcestershire sauce, yellow mustard, garlic powder, salt, and green chiles until fully combined to create the dressing. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- In a very large mixing bowl, combine all of the pasta salad ingredients (cooked pasta, browned ground sausage, bacon, black beans, corn, pepperjack cheese, tomatoes, red onion, bell pepper, and parsley).
- Pour the prepared dressing over the ingredients.
- Toss the salad gently until everything is evenly coated in the dressing.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld before serving.
Notes
- Rinse the cooked pasta under cold water to stop the cooking process and prevent it from becoming sticky or gummy.
- Let the pasta cool completely before adding the dressing so it doesn’t absorb it too quickly or turn greasy.
- Make sure the black beans and green chiles are well-drained to avoid a watery salad.
- This salad gets better as it sits, but the pasta will absorb some of the dressing. If it seems dry the next day, stir in a little extra BBQ sauce or mayonnaise before serving.
- Bowtie (farfalle) or rotini work best because they hold onto the thick dressing and mix-ins.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 457kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 996mg | Potassium: 521mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 478IU | Vitamin C: 37mg | Calcium: 111mg | Iron: 2mg
