Taco Pasta Salad in the Pressure Cooker You Gotta Try
This taco pasta salad is a delicious and refreshing twist on classic taco flavors with pasta, seasoned beef, fresh veggies, and a creamy Catalina dressing, all ready in just 20 minutes.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef fresh to brown up good in your skillet
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning packs that spicy punch you expect
- 8 ounces rotini pasta cooked al dente
- 1 medium jalapeño pepper seeded and diced fine for just the right heat
- 1 medium Roma tomato diced for a juicy bite
- 1 can corn kernels drained, adds a sweet pop
- ½ cup red bell pepper diced for crunch and color splash
- ½ cup yellow onion diced to add sharp flavor balance
- 2 cups mild cheddar cheese shredded, melts into the pasta
- 1 cup Catalina dressing ties crunchy and creamy bits together
- 1 bag Nacho Doritos slightly crushed with some reserved for topping
- to taste diced iceberg lettuce optional garnish for crisp bite
Instructions
Instructions
- Start by cooking your ground beef in a skillet over medium heat. You wanna brown it all the way through and get some nice color but be careful not to burn it. When it’s done, drain off the excess fat to keep it from getting greasy.
- Next, sprinkle in your taco seasoning and stir it in real good. Let it cook for a couple minutes so the seasoning melds into the beef and releases those taco flavors you love.
- In a large bowl, toss together your cooked rotini pasta, seasoned beef, diced jalapeño, tomato, corn kernels, red bell pepper, and yellow onion. You gotta make sure everything is mixed nice so each bite’s got a little bit of everything.
- Add the shredded mild cheddar cheese next. Then pour in the Catalina dressing right over the mixture. Use a big spoon or your hands if you wanna get full control and toss everything gently until it’s all coated creamy and cheesy.
- Put the whole bowl in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This step is key because it lets all those flavors hang together and marry. You want that broth depth from the beef and the bright freshness from the veggies coming through nice.
- Right before serving, crush up a handful of Nacho Doritos over the salad. Sprinkle a few more on top if you want that extra crunch and maybe some diced iceberg lettuce for a little crisp freshness. Then dig in and enjoy your pressure cooker inspired taco pasta salad.
Notes
Serve chilled with extra Doritos and diced lettuce if desired. Perfect for casual dinners and gatherings, this salad also stores well refrigerated or frozen for later use.