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a plain bowl of small pasta shells with browned ground-beef crumbles, red kidney beans, yellow corn, orange cheddar cubes, red-onion pieces and crisp bacon in a creamy pale-brown barbecue dressing
Rachel Kim

Cowboy Pasta Salad

Browned beef, kidney beans and barbecue dressing make cowboy pasta salad a hearty bowl with a smoky-sweet edge. Use a modest amount of barbecue sauce, which should season the mayonnaise dressing without turning every ingredient sticky, and the drained beans need to stay intact as you fold. Crisp bacon goes in near serving time, while the beef cools separately so its warmth doesn't loosen the dressing or melt the cheddar cubes into the pasta.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 10
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 12 oz dry small pasta shells
  • 1 tbsp fine salt for pasta water
  • 1 lb 90% lean ground beef
  • 6 oz bacon chopped
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt for beef
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1 can kidney beans 15 oz, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup frozen corn thawed
  • 4 oz cheddar cut into small cubes
  • 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup thick barbecue sauce
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Method
 

  1. Cook bacon in a skillet for 8 to 10 minutes until crisp and drain. Pour off the fat and brown beef in the skillet for 8 to 10 minutes until it reaches 160°F, then season with salt and pepper and drain. Spread beef in a shallow dish and refrigerate promptly to cool.
  2. Meanwhile, boil pasta shells in water with the tablespoon salt until fully tender. Drain, rinse briefly under cool water and drain thoroughly.
  3. Mix mayonnaise, barbecue sauce and vinegar. Fold through pasta with cooled beef, kidney beans, corn, cheddar and red onion.
  4. Add crisp bacon just before serving. Keep the dressed salad refrigerated until needed.
  5. Stir gently before portioning and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.