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Cilantro Lime Pasta Salad Recipe

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4.3 from 62 reviews

This vibrant Cilantro Lime Pasta Salad combines tender bowtie pasta with fresh veggies and a creamy, zesty cilantro lime dressing. It’s a refreshing and flavorful salad perfect for picnics, potlucks, or as a light lunch or side dish.

Ingredients

Salad Ingredients

  • 1 lb bowtie pasta
  • 1 341-ml can corn, drained and rinsed
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced small
  • ½ cup halved cherry tomatoes
  • ½ red onion, diced small
  • ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
  • ¼ cup loosely packed cilantro, finely chopped

Cilantro Lime Dressing

  • ½ cup loosely packed cilantro
  • ¼ cup lime juice, about 3-4 limes
  • Zest of 1 lime
  • 1 ripe avocado
  • 3 Tbsp mayonnaise
  • 3 Tbsp Greek yogurt
  • 2-3 Tbsp water
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ⅛ tsp black pepper

Instructions

  1. Cook Pasta: Cook the pasta according to the package directions in salted water until al dente. Then drain the pasta and rinse with cold water to cool it down. Set aside to drain thoroughly.
  2. Make Dressing: While the pasta is cooking, add all the dressing ingredients—cilantro, lime juice, lime zest, ripe avocado, mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, water, garlic, salt, and black pepper—to a blender. Blend until smooth, adding more water if necessary to achieve a pourable consistency.
  3. Combine Salad: In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta with the corn, diced red bell pepper, halved cherry tomatoes, diced red onion, crumbled feta cheese, and chopped cilantro.
  4. Toss with Dressing: Pour the cilantro lime dressing over the pasta mixture and toss gently until everything is evenly coated with the dressing.
  5. Chill and Serve: For best flavor, cover the pasta salad and refrigerate for a few hours before serving to let the flavors meld together. Serve chilled.

Notes

  • One serving is about 2 cups of pasta salad.
  • Feel free to use any pasta shape you enjoy; bowtie, fusilli, or orecchiette work especially well.
  • Use gluten-free pasta if needed to make this recipe gluten-free.
  • Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Find it online: https://flavorspath.com/cilantro-lime-pasta-salad-recipe/