Cilantro Lime Pasta Salad

Delmar insisted we try something he saw on TikTok, so here we are.

This is a great, light recipe. You can jazz it up or keep it simple with different veggies and seasonings in the dressing.

This comes together pretty quickly, and you can eat it as soon as you make it or leave it in the fridge to allow the flavors to fully develop.

No matter what you add to this or how you eat it, it tastes pretty good!

Let’s get into it.

Cilantro Lime Pasta Salad

Recipe credit to Plant Based Jess.

Time commitment:

Prep - 15-20 minutes

Cooking time - 10-12 minutes

Cooling time - 10-15 minutes or a few hours

Ready in as little as 35 minutes!

Equipment list:

• Knife and cutting board

• Medium bowl

• Small mixing bowl or 2 cup measuring cup to make the dressing in

• Serving spoon and a stirring spoon

• Pot big enough to boil noodles plus a pan-safe spoon for stirring.

• 3/4 cup (or use 1/4 x3 or use 1 cup)

• 1/2 teaspoon (or use 1/2 of 1 teaspoon)

• 1/2 cup (or use 1/2 of 1 cup)

• Pasta strainer

• Stovetop

Ingredients:

• 8-12 ounces of pasta (use bowtie, small shells, or similar smaller shapes of pasta that you find in traditional pasta salad)

• 1 1/2 cups corn (use 1-2 cans or cut the kernels from 2 ears of corn; omit if you don’t like/can’t eat corn)

• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained (you could use pre-seasoned in a taco flavor too! If you do, don't rinse, just drain; optional, can substitute for chickpeas or remove entirely)

• 1 avocado, cut into medium or smaller-sized cubes (optional but adds creasminess)

• 1 large tomao or 2 medium-sized, diced

• 1/2 cup red onion, diced

• 1/2-1 cup diced or shredded chicken (grab a rotisserie chicken from the local grocery store, it saves time and is already cooked! Or cook your own chicken and lightly season it with a taco blend or with just salt and pepper.)

• Salt pasta water

  For the Dressing:

• 3/4 cup yogurt, plain (grab nonfat Greek to make it healthier!)

• 1/4-1/3 cup chopped cilantro

• 2 cloves of garlic, minced

• Juice from 2 limes (if you like a more lime-y taste, go for 3 limes; this also helps thin out the dressing a bit)

• 1/2 tsp chili powder (or cayenne powder or chipotle powder)

• Salt, to taste

Cooking steps:

1. Gather all your equipment and ingredients.

2. Grab your pot, fill it with salted water (think about the ocean when you add salt, unless you’re low sodium or don’t prefer it, then omit), and get the noodles started.

3. Chop/dice/mince the cilantro, onion, tomato, and garlic, checking on and occasionally stirring the pasta.

   • TIP: The pasta should be cooked al dente, meaning a little soft but still mostly firm.

4. When the pasta reaches al dente status, drain it and rinse in cold water to stop them from continuing to cook. Shake all the water out and add the noodles to a medium bowl.

5. Drain the corn and rinse the black beans (both are optional). Shake all liquid out and add to the bowl with the pasta.

6. If using avocado and tomato, add to the bowl with beans/corn and pasta. Gently mix everything up.

7. Make the dressing by combining 3/4 cup yogurt, 1/4-1/3 cup cilantro, 2 cloves minced garlic, juice from 2 limes, 1/2 tsp chili powder, and salt (to taste).

8. Add dressing to the bowl with the pasta and gently mix.

9. Serve immediately (sometimes pasta salad is good when it’s a little warm!) or store in the fridge for a few hours to cool and let the flavors settle.

10. Store leftovers in an airtight container and eat within 5 days.

    • TIP: The avocado may start to turn brown as this sits. Just pick it out before enjoying the pasta!