Southwest Tomato Bacon Pasta Salad

Fresh and tasty with just a little bite, this Southwest Tomato Bacon Pasta Salad is the perfect salad to bring along to a family get together or just for a weeknight side!

Hey guys! It’s Alli from Tornadough Alli! I feel like it’s been so long since I’ve shared over here! But I’m happy to be back and sharing this absolutely tasty and addicting Southwest Tomato Bacon Pasta Salad!

During the summer we do A TON of pasta salads around our house! I mean there is no limit to how many or types that we make, all we know is that we absolutely love making them and they really don’t last long around here. So that’s a plus. My kids gobble them down so quick!

Now this salad is a little different then most! Instead of using a mayo base for the sauce we took a little spin and made it with sour cream! If you’ve never had a sour cream based sauce before, you’re missing out. It really worked well with the southwest aspect of this salad and really balanced the flavors out perfectly!

We loved adding the bacon, tomatoes and to throw in a little twist and because I’m addicted….we added a little avocado as well. Who is an avocado lover like me? I could eat those bad boys all day every day. Plus it added nicely to the flavor of the dish and gave it a little cooling effect as well.

This salad isn’t spicy per se, but it has a little kick behind it from the taco seasoning that is used in the sauce mixture. But like I said earlier that it really balances it out right! Add some chopped cilantro and you have yourself a fun and quick salad that everyone will dig into and love!

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb elbow macaroni, cooked
2 tomatoes, diced
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 avocado, diced
Cilantro, diced (optional)
Sauce:
1 cup sour cream
1 pkg taco seasoning
1/2 cup chunky salsa
3-4 Tbs milk

DIRECTIONS:

In bowl combine your pasta, tomatoes, bacon and avocado and stir to blend.
In another smaller bowl mix together your sour cream, taco seasoning, salsa and milk and pour over the top of your pasta and stir until combined.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Top with diced cilantro if desired.