Summertime usually means lots of get-togethers and BBQ parties, which also means bring on the pasta salads! They really are simple to whip up and make a great side dish to pair with burgers, hot dogs, and ribs. This taco pasta salad is amazing and gives a brand new flavor to the typical pasta salad side dish. Taco Pasta Salad takes on the flavors we love in a taco – but is mixed in with pasta. The combo gives you a fun, unique dish to wow your friends with.
This recipe shows you how to make pasta salad in a lightened up way, so you’re not laden with tons of calories from dressing or heavy pasta. The addition of veggies and lean meat bulk this dish right up so you stay full and satisfied, rather than hungry later on. It even makes a great meal prepped lunch option since it’s fully balanced with veggies, protein, and carbs.
Three reasons why you need to make this recipe!
It’s a fun way to vary the classic pasta salad recipe.
You still get tender pasta in this dish, but in place of the normal ingredients, we have taco inspired flavors and ingredients!
By using ground turkey, you add a good dose of protein to pasta salad.
This isn’t your typical side dish. It comes loaded with a whopping 14 grams of protein per serving. That’s enough to make this a fully balanced lunch option if you need something you can prep ahead of time.
Taco Pasta Salad is a breeze to whip up.
I suggest using pre-cooked pasta. It keeps well and it makes this recipe so easy to mix together in just a few minutes.
Ingredients you need to make Taco Pasta Salad:
- 1 lb fat free ground turkey, weighed raw
- 2.5 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 2 cups of cooked rotini style pasta
- 1 cup diced bell peppers
- ½ cup diced red onion
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half
- 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
- 1 cup reduced fat shredded cheese
- ½ cup light Catalina dressing or French dressing
- 1 teaspoon taco seasoning
- 4 hard taco shells, crushed
How to make Taco Pasta Salad (step by step):
- Cook and drain the pasta if you’re not using pre-cooked pasta.
- Brown the ground turkey and stir in the 2.5 tablespoons of taco seasoning. Drain off any fat that’s in the pan and add the taco seasoned turkey to a bowl.
- Add the pasta, peppers, onion, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, 1 teaspoon of taco seasoning, and dressing to the ground turkey bowl and stir well. Once you are ready to serve, stir in the crushed taco shells.
- Store any leftover taco pasta salad in the fridge. Enjoy!
Makes 12 (1 cup) servings. Nutrition info for 1 cup: Calories 134, Fat 4 g, Saturated fat 1.57 g, Carbs 13 g, Fiber 1.95 g, Sugars 2.13 g, Sodium 529 mg, Protein 14 g.
WW Points
- Fat free ground turkey 0 points
- Taco seasoning 1 point
- Cooked whole wheat rotini style pasta 8 points
- Diced peppers 0 points
- Diced red onion 0 points
- Grape tomatoes cut in half 0 points
- Shredded iceberg lettuce 0 points
- Reduced fat shredded cheese 14 points
- Reduced calorie Catalina dressing or French dressing 14 points
- Taco seasoning 0 points
- Taco shells crushed 8 points
4 points per cup based on the WW app recipe creator.
If you’re using an older version of WW, check out these points below.
Personal Points- 2-4 depending on your 0PP foods
Freestyle smart points- (Blue & purple) 4 using WW recipe builder *swap out white pasta for whole wheat and recipe is 2SP on purple
Smart Points- (green) 4 using SP calculator
Point Plus- 4 using PP calculator
Different ways to change up this recipe:
- Use taco seasoned Quest chips instead of taco shells to add protein, and reduce the calories!
- Extra Lean Ground beef is a great substitute for the turkey if you have the Weight Watchers points for it. Ground chicken could also be used.
- I know typical pasta salad is made with Italian dressing, but the Catalina or French dressing adds just a hint of sweetness that I find this recipe really needs. Definitely try it even if you’re skeptical.
Tips and Tricks for Making Taco Pasta Salad:
- The taco shells are best added only when ready to serve as they will go soggy after a while.
- This taco pasta salad will last in the fridge for up to seven days without the taco shells added to it. I suggest just sprinkling a few crushed chips over the top if you’re going to eat just one serving a day. That way they stay fresh and crunchy.
Similar recipes you’ll enjoy:
taco pasta salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb fat free ground turkey, weighed raw
- 2.5 Tbsp taco seasoning
- 2 cups of cooked rotini style pasta, I weighed pasta uncooked and picture below for my nutritional numbers, the 2 cups uncooked was 17SP
- 1 cup diced peppers, I used green & yellow
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half
- 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
- 1 cup reduced fat shredded cheese, I used a 3 cheese blend
- 1/2 cup calorie wise catalina dressing, or french dressing
- 1 tsp taco seasoning
- 4 taco shells, crushed
Instructions
- Cook and drain the pasta if you’re not using pre-cooked pasta.
- Brown the ground turkey and stir in the 2.5 tablespoons of taco seasoning. Drain off any fat that’s in the pan and add the taco seasoned turkey to a bowl.
- Add the pasta, peppers, onion, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, 1 teaspoon of taco seasoning, and dressing to the ground turkey bowl and stir well. Once you are ready to serve, stir in the crushed taco shells.
- Store any leftover taco pasta salad in the fridge. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This looks delish. Thanks for an idea for lunch. Is the 2 C. pasta measured before or after cooking?
HI Mona, as mentioned in the post the pasta is weighed before cooking and I used the info from the box (as that info is for dry uncooked pasta)
Excellent idea to use canned premium chicken white meat too. I can’t wait to try it!
Great tip, thanks 🙂 I hope you enjoy it
How many points are the taco shells?
Hi Brittany, the ones I used were 2SP each
I think this would be good with shrimp substituted as a protein.
Sure, sounds good 🙂
Do you serve this warm or cold
This is a cold pasta salad.. I know it might seem weird lol and the first time I had something similar at a BBQ (but with ground beef) I was like ..wait..it’s cold? But it is sooo good!!
Making this for dinner tonight. So excited about this!
I hope you enjoyed it Kim 🙂
Made this tonight! It was really good! Thank you!
Hi Julie, so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Is there something that could be substituted for the Catalina or French Dressing?
you can try another dressing of choice, I mean it is going to change the overall taste of it but if you don’t like those dressing use one you like, Italian maybe 🙂 it will still be a tasty recipe
how long will this last in the fridge?
In a Tupperware I’d think up to 3 days
I was only able to get 7 (1) cup servings, I measured out 2 cups dried rotini after cooked it came out to 2 3/4 cups cooked pasta. I didn’t add the lettuce into the pasta mixture, I was afraid it might get soggy sitting in the refrigerator
Hmmm that seems very low when it makes 12 cups, you used 1 pound turkey correct? The lettuce does add 2 cups but you are still off a bit, sorry not too sure why you did not get the 12 cups I did, maybe a larger pasta?
Yup, I used 1 lb 99% ground turkey. I even used more than 1 cup bell peppers. It was delicious had for lunch today, next time I think I’ll try bowtie pasta to see if I’ll get 12 cups