Tex-Mex Pasta Salad (Easy)

The pasta salad completed.

Such an easy pasta salad to make and great for cookouts, potlucks, parties, etc, makes plenty. Tastes great when you get a bite with a halved cherry tomato with your spoonful. The black beans add some fiber to this salad and the dressing is just right for flavor. It's part Ranch, part mayo and fresh lime juice. I enjoyed eating the leftovers the next day for lunch. I served this salad on the side with my Southwest Stuffed Chicken recipe, the two complimented one another quite nicely.


http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/tex-mex-pasta-salad-124464.aspx

Ingredients:

1/2 cup KRAFT Ranch Dressing

1/3 cup  KRAFT Real Mayo Mayonnaise

Zest and juice from lime (after you have zested the lime, place in microwave for about 15-20 seconds to warm and it will juice much easier for you)

2 tsp. hot pepper sauce

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

2 cups  elbow macaroni, cooked, drained

1-1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes

3/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed

4 green onions, thinly sliced

Directions: 

Mix dressing, mayo, lime zest, lime juice, pepper sauce, and cumin in bowl. Add remaining ingredients, mix lightly. Refrigerate one hour.

Grating one lime for the zest into the mayo and Ranch dressing mixture.

I use Tabasco for my hot sauce of choice but any hot sauce will do.

Halved cherry tomatoes, sauce for salad, green onions, rinsed black beans, all waiting to be added to cooked elbow macaroni.

All ingredients added, just have to stir lightly to coat and refrigerate for one hour to chill.

Stirred, so easy to make!