This Southwest Pasta Salad with creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing is a perfect side dish for cookouts and BBQs, or enjoy it for a light summer dinner! Loaded with colorful veggies, cheese, and a zesty, herby dressing, this pasta salad is bursting with fresh summer flavors!

A Fresh Southwest Pasta Salad To Make This Summer

This Southwest Pasta Salad with Cilantro Ranch is full of zesty flavor and perfect for summer picnics!

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I always get a little panicky after the Fourth of July. Those first weeks of summer seem to fly by, and in the aftermath of all the fireworks and feasting, I begin to worry I haven’t done enough to make summer count.

Not enough Peach Crumble Pie. Not enough pool days. Not enough ice cream floats. Not enough popsicles or sticky chins or days spent marinating in a vinaigrette of sunscreen and sweat and bug spray.

If I’m not careful, my anxiety about summer ending can totally sabotage my enjoyment of the summer we have left. In this season, I have to consciously remind myself that time is not the enemy, and neither is winter. My real enemy is worry, that panicky voice in the back of my head that tells me a day not spent *making summer magic* is a day wasted.

So today, I’m speaking gently but firmly to my anxiety gremlin and letting him know I’ll no longer be needing his services. Instead, I’ll be turning my attention toward the present–the mundane and ordinarily lovely moments of each passing day, whether they’re spent by the ocean or in our own slightly overgrown backyard.

I reach for that sense of steady attention when I greet my cutting board these days. The ingredients of summer deserve to be lingered over, and they’re front and center in this Southwest Pasta Salad. With a bounty of colorful bell peppers, juicy tomatoes, and bright green herbs, this pasta salad is a delight for the senses.

I love taking my time to chop the cilantro and chives, juice the limes, and mix up the zesty cilantro ranch dressing, taste testing until the seasonings feel just right. Because this pasta salad is make-ahead friendly, I can enjoy preparing it before the rush of a gathering, in the calm before the celebration.

This pasta salad travels well, and it makes a great side dish for hot dogs and hamburgers. We love to add Mexican grilled chicken for a complete meal. The leftovers (if there are any) make a fantastic lunch! I hope this recipe will be a welcome addition to all the ordinary moments you’re celebrating this summer.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Bell peppers, red onion, limes, cooked pasta, cheese cubes, spices, tomatoes, and a creamy cilantro dressing on a cutting board.

For the pasta salad:

Pasta– I love the way rotini pasta swirls soak up all the creamy dressing, but penne or bowtie pasta are great substitutes.
Bell peppers– Use any color variety, mini or standard size bell peppers.
Cherry tomatoes– Substitute with grape tomatoes if that’s what you’ve go to hand.
Red onion– Gives the pasta salad a little color and crisp sharp flavor.
Corn– I prefer to use corn that’s shucked off the cob, but cooked frozen corn also works.
Cheese– We used Monterey Jack cubes, but the cheese options here are pretty endless. See our Variations below!

For the cilantro lime dressing:

This dressing recipe comes from our Tomato and Corn Chopped Salad. If you love these flavors, you’ll also want to try our Creamy Avocado Lime Dressing and Margarita Shrimp Tostadas.

Mayonnaise– This gives the pasta salad it’s creamy base. We love Duke’s mayo, but any mayonnaise will work.
Sour cream– For a nice cool tang! Plain Greek yogurt is a great substitute.
Jalapenos– We remove the seeds to keep this pasta on the mild side, but you can leave them in for more heat, or omit the jalapenos completely.
Limes- Fresh, zesty fresh lime juice brings this pasta salad to life.
Cilantro + Chives– Fresh herbs make this taste like summer!
Spice blend– We use a mix of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and chili powder.
Milk– The milk is used to thin out the sauce to easily coat the pasta.

How to Make Southwest Pasta Salad

Step 1: Cook the pasta. Cook the pasta to al dente in a large pot of boiling, salted water. Drain the pasta, then run cold water over it to stop the cooking process.

Step 2: Make the sauce. In a bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, jalapenos, limes, herbs, and spices. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Add enough milk to make it pourable.

Step 3: Combine ingredients. In a large bowl, toss the pasta, veggies, and cheese together, then stir in the sauce until everything is well coated. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, or overnight.

Cilantro Lime Pasta Salad in a serving dish.

Storage and Make Ahead Instructions

We recommend making pasta salad at least an hour ahead of time to give the flavors time to meld. It should be kept in the fridge until ready to serve.
Pasta salad will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about 5-6 days, but is best served within 24 hours.

Variations

Add a can of rinsed and drained black beans.
Add some chopped Mexican chicken to make this a main dish.
Substitute queso fresco, cotija, or cheddar cheese for the Monterey Jack. Or try Pepper Jack cheese for a kick!
Stir some chopped chipotles in adobo into the dressing for some smoky heat.

Courtney’s Tips for Perfect Pasta Salad

Salt your pasta water! I use about 2 Tablespoons of Kosher salt for a large pot of water.
Rinse cooked pasta with cold water after draining so it doesn’t keep cooking or get gummy.
Refrigerate before serving to give the flavors a chance to meld.
Soak raw red onions in cold water for 10 minutes to remove some of their bite.

Southwestern pasta salad in a large red serving bowl with a wooden spoon.

More Recipes to Help Savor the Summer

This Fresh Tomato Soup is a must when tomatoes are in season, as are these Caprese Paninis.

We can’t get enough peaches in late summer. Make the most of them with Peach Blackberry Cobbler, Peach Cobbler Bars, and Grilled Peach Salad.

Is your garden overflowing with zucchini? Mix up your sides with this Spicy Asian Zucchini or Sauteed Zucchini with Goat Cheese.

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