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Taco Pasta Salad

Flavorful and satisfying, this taco pasta salad features tender pasta, fresh veggies, a flavorful dressing, crunchy chips, and perfectly seasoned ground beef.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 16 ounces rotini pasta cooked, drained, and cooled
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • ¼ cup taco seasoning
  • ¾ cup water
  • ½ cup grated cheese
  • 1 tomato diced
  • ½ head iceberg lettuce chopped (about 3 to 4 cups)
  • 1 avocado diced
  • ½ cup cilantro chopped
  • 2 green onions green parts only, sliced
  • 1 cup French dressing
  • 2 cups Nacho Cheese Doritos crushed

Method
 

  1. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain and run cold water over the pasta. Set aside.
  2. Brown the ground beef over medium-high heat in a medium skillet. When no pink remains, add taco seasoning and water. Bring mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and cool.
  3. In a large salad bowl, mix together cooled pasta, cooled taco meat, grated cheese, tomato, lettuce, avocado, cilantro, and green onions.
  4. Pour the French dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
  5. Just before serving, add the crushed Doritos and toss once more.
  6. Serve immediately.

Notes

Taco seasoning can be whipped up easily with some basic spices (chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, pepper, salt, oregano, and paprika) if you don’t have a package of seasoning. Some stores also carry larger containers of taco seasoning rather than small packets to keep on hand.
Rinsing your pasta under cold water will cool it down and prevent it from sticking.
Use pre-shredded cheese and lettuce to save time when putting together this dish.
To crush the chips quickly and mess-free, throw them in a Ziploc bag and use a rolling pin to crush them.