Cowboy pasta salad combines cellentani pasta, crisp cooked bacon, browned ground beef, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, and blackened corn in a creamy southwest dressing sweetened with barbecue sauce. Serve this delicious pasta salad as a main course during the hot summer months or as a crowd-pleasing party or potluck dish.
No matter where or to whom you serve this dish, it is always a winner. Prepare the dish up to 24 hours in advance, but hold off on the tomatoes and bacon. Toss them in right before serving. I love to serve this salad for my pool parties with summer fruit salad and three-bean salad.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Ground beef: Use ground beef with a little fat in it. Fat is what gives the beef flavor.
- Tomatoes: Grape or cherry tomatoes halved. You can also use any summer sun-ripened, meaty tomato, diced.
- Cheddar cheese: Mild, sharp, or extra sharp cheddar cheese.
- Corn: I like to use grilled or blackened fresh corn, but in the off season, you can use canned or frozen.
- Sour cream: Full-fat or light but not fat-free.
- Barbecue sauce: Use your favorite brand or make homemade barbecue sauce. We have been using G. Hughes Sugar-Free BBQ Sauce, Sweet & Spicy. It is pretty darn good!
- Chili sauce: You can use any chili sauce, even sambal oelek. Substitute a little hot sauce if you don’t have any.
How to Make Cowboy Pasta Salad
This is a summary version; for the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please refer to the recipe card below.
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook the pasta al dente according to package instructions and drain well in a colander. Rinse with a little cool water to stop the cooking process. Whisk the mayonnaise, sour cream, barbecue sauce, spicy brown mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and chili sauce in a medium bowl.
Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy. Use a slotted spoon and remove it to paper towels to drain. Remove all but one tablespoon of bacon grease from the skillet and discard the rest
Add the ground beef and cook until it is about halfway browned. Add the onion and cook until the beef is brown and the onion is soft. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the chili powder, ground cumin, and red pepper flakes.
Place the corn in a large dry, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and toss it every few minutes until browned and charred. Add the drained and cooled pasta, bacon, ground beef mixture, corn, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, and green onion to a large serving bowl. Pour the dressing over the top and toss to coat.
Preparation Tips and Storage
- Always cook the pasta al dente. It improves the texture, and the pasta does not swell as much from absorbing the dressing.
- If you prefer to grill the corn. Remove the husks from the corn. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Place the corn directly on the grill and cook 12-15 minutes, turning occasionally. Let the corn cool and cut the kernels from the cob.
- Keep this salad covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Prepare this pasta salad up to 24 hours in advance, but do not add the tomatoes or the bacon until you serve it.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
More Pasta Salad Recipes
Cowboy Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Cowboy Pasta Salad
- 16 ounces cellentani pasta
- ½ lb. smoked bacon, chopped
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1-2 pinches red pepper flakes
- ⅔ cup corn kernals
- 1½ cups grape tomatoes
- 1 cup cubed sharp cheddar cheese
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Cowboy Pasta Salad Dressing
- ⅔ cup mayonnaise
- ⅕ cup sour cream
- ⅓ cup barbecue sauce
- 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Chili sauce or hot sauce to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook the pasta al dente according to package instructions and drain well in a colander. Rinse with a little cool water to stop the cooking process.
- Whisk the mayonnaise, sour cream, barbecue sauce, spicy brown mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and chili sauce in a medium bowl.
- Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy. Use a slotted spoon and remove it to paper towels to drain. Remove all but one tablespoon of bacon grease from the skillet and discard the rest.
- Add the ground beef and cook until it is about halfway browned. Add the onion and cook until the beef is brown and the onion is soft. Remove any excess grease from the skillet. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the chili powder, ground cumin, and red pepper flakes.
- Place the corn in a large dry nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and toss it every few minutes until browned and charred.
- Add the drained and cooled pasta, bacon, ground beef mixture, corn, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, and green onions to a large serving bowl. Pour the dressing over the top and toss to coat. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Notes
- Always cook the pasta al dente. It improves the texture, and the pasta does not swell as much from absorbing the dressing.
- If you prefer to grill the corn. Remove the husks from the corn. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Place the corn directly on the grill and cook 12-15 minutes, turning occasionally. Let the corn cool and cut the kernels from the cob.
- Keep this salad covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Prepare this pasta salad up to 24 hours in advance, but do not add the tomatoes or the bacon until right before serving.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Victoria L
This made me so hungry just reading it! I never thought of mixing those flavours in a pasta salad, but now I really want to try it. Feels like the perfect dish for a summer cookout!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Victoria! Enjoy!