Tex Mex Pasta Salad

Admit it.  You’ve had those moments when you take a bite of a side-dish and exclaim, “I could eat a whole MEAL of this!”  But you know it’s not a good idea.  It’s got just a few too many carbs for a main course and a lot too few vegetables to be your dinner.  But then you go ahead and do it anyway.  Because it is that delicious.  And you have no self restraint.

At least, that’s what I do.  And I have witnesses, unfortunately, that have seen me do this.

That’s what happened to me when I first enjoyed this recipe.  I simply could not stop myself.  I was eating it for breakfast, on top of tortilla chips, for dinner.  Over and over and over again.  And then I convinced myself that I could never make this pasta salad again.  I just eat too much of it.

And then a coworker (I know you are reading — hi B!) asked me for a killer pasta salad recipe.  And that conversation reminded me how delicious this salad truly was.

And I tried to get it out of my head.  I tried.

I failed.  It’s okay to admit defeat.  So I caved, but it was okay.

I decreased the pasta called for and increased the veggies.  Cheese became an accent rather than an ingredient and the ensemble was served over lettuce to make me feel a little better.  Oh, and the Omnivore added some delicious grilled chicken (if I do say so myself) atop his plate.

TexMex Pasta Salad (4 servings, based on this recipe)
8 oz your choice pasta (I used wheat rotini)
1 cup very flavorful salsa (ie. not store brand, please)
1 3/4 cup black beans
8 oz frozen corn
1 can petite (important!) diced tomatoes
8 oz baby lima beans
1/2 diced onion
3 TBSP lemon or lime juice
1 T cumin
2 t chili powder
salt and pepper
cheddar cheese, shredded
sour cream (I used non-fat)

Boil pasta until al dente.  Rinse with cold water.  Toss with remaining ingredients and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.  Top with shredded cheddar and a dollop of sour cream (an ingredient that neither the Omnivore nor I usually enjoy, but it is quite tasty here).