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The Ultimate Black Bean and Corn Pasta Salad (Perfect for Summer!)

Three meal prep containers filled with the Black Bean and Corn Pasta Salad for healthy lunches.

A creamy and refreshing pasta salad that combines rotini pasta with black beans, corn, fresh spinach, and cilantro. The salad is tossed in a homemade lime Greek yogurt dressing, which is flavored with cumin, smoked paprika, and garlic. It can be served immediately or chilled, making it a versatile option for a side dish or a light main course.

Ingredients

Scale
  • For the Salad:
  • 16 oz rotini pasta (or any short noodle pasta)
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can (11 oz) corn, drained
  • 1 cup fresh spinach, roughly chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
  • For the Dressing:
  • 1 cup full fat plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 limes, juiced

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package instructions.
  2. Once the pasta is cooked al dente, transfer it to a strainer and rinse under cool water to stop the cooking process and cool it down. Drain well.
  3. In a large serving bowl, prepare the dressing by adding the Greek yogurt, olive oil, minced garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, sugar, salt, and the fresh-squeezed juice from two limes. Whisk until the dressing is smooth.
  4. Add the drained pasta, black beans, corn, chopped spinach, and cilantro to the bowl with the dressing.
  5. Stir everything together until the pasta and other ingredients are well combined and evenly coated in the dressing.
  6. Taste the salad and adjust the seasoning with more salt, pepper, or extra lime juice if needed.
  7. The salad can be served immediately or chilled in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before serving.

Notes

  • Rinsing the pasta with cool water after cooking is important for a pasta salad to prevent it from becoming sticky and to cool it down for the other ingredients.
  • This salad is versatile and can be served immediately at room temperature or chilled for a colder dish.
  • The recipe encourages tasting and adjusting the seasonings of the final dish to your personal preference.

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