I have a bit of an obsession with street tacos. Between their fresh ingredients, innovative flavor pairings, and easy portability, there is a lot to love! Mexican food in general has always had my heart, but street food? To me it is the best kind there is. I love hitting up the local food scene whenever I travel, and my favorite way to dive in is by heading straight for the food trucks. Today’s recipe is inspired by my favorite street tacos, and the best part? You can take it along anywhere you need to go! It is full of fresh, full flavors, and packed with veggies for a smart meal that won’t leave you feeling heavy and full. Be sure to check out the full recipe video at the bottom of this post!
Street Taco Pasta Salad
This pasta salad is ridiculously easy to make, and it takes just 15 minutes to prepare. I don’t know about you, but that is amazing to me, especially when I have a house full of kids to deal with and a never ending pile of laundry to do. It stores well in the fridge, and due to the layering of ingredients it won’t get soggy before you have a chance to eat it. I love doing recipes in mason jars because they don’t require much effort, but still let me get creative without being a full sit down, multi dish meal. Plus I can eat it right out of the jar, which is perfect for when I want to be lazy. These are great for meal planning and when you expect to be short on time, and you can easily swap out ingredients depending on what you are in the mood for. I am using 1 quart jars here, and you will get 2 jars out of this recipe. Here is what you need:
- 1 1/2 cup rotini pasta – cooked
- 1 cup blackened corn
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/3 cup chopped green onion
- 1/3 cup cotija cheese
- Juice of 1 lime (for pasta)
- Juice of another lime (for sauce)
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
First, saute your corn in a large skillet with black pepper and a little oil for 10 minutes or until edges blacken. You want to keep the corn moving so it doesn’t stick, so be sure to stir frequently.
While your corn is cooking, go ahead and cut and prepare the rest of your ingredients. Chop your cilantro, green onions, and tomatoes into small pieces, and then set aside in separate bowls.
Next, make your sauce by whisking together your sour cream, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika. It gives a little heat with the smoked paprika, but if you prefer something more mild, you can leave that part out. I love how zesty the flavoring is, and it really ties the whole dish together!
Once everything is cooked and ready, start layering ingredients in your jar. Layering helps keep everything from getting soggy, which is important if you are making it for later. If you are serving immediately, you can skip this step and go straight to mixing. The layers go as follows: Pasta, corn, black beans, cilantro, green onions, avocado, tomato. If your jar is large like mine is, repeat a second time. Top with sauce and crumbled cotija cheese.
Store it in the fridge for up to a few days. Once you are ready to eat just grab a jar, give it a few shakes, and pour it into a bowl. Doesn’t that look delicious?
