For the ultimate pasta salad, go cowboy-style! This one’s fully loaded with veggies, bacon and a creamy, smoky dressing. It’s hearty enough to serve as a stand-alone dinner, but is also a crowd-pleasing side for barbecues, potlucks or picnics. The best part? It’s the ultimate make ahead dish.
I’m always on the hunt for new pasta salad ideas, and if you are too, you’ll love my pesto pasta salad, hearty tortellini salad or this veggie-packed Greek version.
Why you’ll love this cowboy pasta salad recipe
This cowboy pasta salad is impossible to resist! Crispy bacon, sharp cheddar, sweet cherry tomatoes, padrón peppers and sweet corn make every bite a flavor-packed winner. The creamy dressing is a smoky flavor bomb that ties it all together.
It’s my go-to for easy dinners, hearty sides, backyard BBQs, game day spreads or whenever I want something simple yet satisfying. And while I’m not sure if real cowboys eat this, I can confirm my family absolutely loves it.
Best part? You can whip it up in just 30 minutes or make it a day ahead, it tastes even better after the flavors mingle in the fridge. I served it at a summer gathering recently, and let’s just say… it vanished fast, and everyone asked for the recipe. Now, it’s your turn to try it.
Watch the recipe video
Let me guide you through the recipe with this step-by-step VIDEO or follow along on YouTube!
Pasta salad ingredients
- Pasta
- Thick cut bacon, cut into lardons
- Padron peppers – Feel free to use jalapeño peppers
- Black beans – You can also use kidney beans
- Corn kernels
- Cherry tomatoes
- Red onion – Swap for yellow onion
- Cheddar
- Parsley
Dressing ingredients
- Mayonnaise
- BBQ sauce
- Greek yogurt
- Garlic
- Apple cider vinegar
- Salt and black pepper
Can you use a different type of pasta?
Absolutely! You can swap in any short pasta shape you love. Elbows, shells, farfalle, penne or rotini all work beautifully for holding the creamy dressing and chunky mix-ins.
Customize Veggies
Feel free to mix and match your favorite vegetables. Avocado, bell peppers, cucumber or even zucchini make great additions or swaps. Perfect for adding extra crunch, color and flavor to your cowboy pasta salad.
🔥 Pro tip
Rinse your pasta well under cold water after cooking. This stops the cooking process, removes excess starch, and keeps the pieces separate and perfectly chewy. No gummy clumps here.
Make ahead
Want to get a head start? Cook the pasta, mix the dressing, crisp the bacon and prep the vegetables up to 1 day in advance. Store each component separately in the fridge. When it’s time to serve, simply stir everything together.
Storage
Transfer any leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for 2–3 days. Keep in mind that the longer the pasta salad sits, the drier it may become. If it needs a refresh, simply stir in a spoonful of mayonnaise before serving to bring back that creamy texture.
Cowboy Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound fusilli
- 1.1 pounds bacon
- 8 padron peppers - deseeded and chopped
- 1 cans (14 oz/400 g) black beans - drained and rinsed
- ½ cup corn kernels
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes - halved
- 2 cups cheddar cheese - cubed
- 1 red onion - diced
- 4 tbsp chopped parsley
Dressing
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup bbq sauce
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt - full fat
- 1 garlic clove - pressed
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
- ½ tsp chili flakes
- ½ tsp ground cumin
Instructions
- Boil pasta al dente in salted water, when ready drain and rinse under cold water.
- Deseed and chop the padron peppers.
- Heat a large skillet over medium high, add bacon and cook until crispy. Add padron peppers and cook for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside.
- In the meantime, chop the parsley, halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the onion and cut the cheddar cheese into cubes.
- Prepare the dressing by combining the mayonnaise with bbq sauce, Greek yogurt, salt, pepper, chili flakes, cumin, apple cider vinegar and garlic.
- Add the ingredients to a large bowl, pour in the prepared dressing and toss to combine. Enjoy!
Video
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