Pasta Salad with a Creamy BBQ and Ranch, Sour Cream Sauce is a pasta side dish that you’ll be devouring all Summer. Just add black beans and tomatoes.
Because the last two weeks have been so busy, I’m just now finding myself looking up for the first time.
You see, I’ve started Culinary School in Denver. Downtown Denver during the day, all day, every day is so very far out of my social and cultural bubbles. So much new scenery to take in, both in the human and the landscape arenas. It’s been a great adventure for me.
My days now consist of getting to the Light Rail Station very early in the morning for a 30-minute train ride which drops me off at Denver Union Station in time to walk about a mile to the Cook Street School of Culinary Arts in time for the school bell to ring.
The program is an accelerated curriculum, so we’re packing a lot of information into every single day. There is daily testing, which demands a lot of studying and homework. I’m loving every minute of it. You’ll surely be hearing more about that as time goes on.
But for now let’s talk about this pasta salad. Tis the season. Pasta salad ingredients are so versatile once you get the sauce just right. For this creation, I wanted something that would stand up to and compliment the wonderful flavor and texture of a beef brisket.
I’ve also served this with Smoked Chicken with Cherry BBQ Sauce. Scrumptious.
I was very pleased with the end result. So much so I started planning the cast of characters for the next batch. For this trial run, I kept it simple with black beans and cherry tomatoes. Next time maybe some kernels of sweet corn? Maybe some thin strips of corn chips? The sauce is a dreamy combination of BBQ Sauce, Ranch Dressing and Sour Cream. We all like creamy pasta salad recipes and we all like easy pasta salad recipes. This one is a crowd pleaser. Let’s take a look:
A pasta salad that you’ll devour all Summer. Goes great with any grill or bbq entree.
- 1 pound Rigatoni Pasta or other interesting tube shaoe
- 1/2 Cup Sour Cream
- 1/4 Cup BBQ Sauce
- 1/4 Cup Homemade Ranch Dressing
- 1/4 Cup Mayonnaise
- 1 14.5 ounce Can Black Beans Drained and rinsed
- 1 sweet onion chopped
- 2 Cups Cherry Tomatoes halved
Cook Pasta according to directions on package. Before draining, reserve about a cup of the starchy pasta liquid.
In the meantime combine Sour Cream, BBQ Sauce, Homemade Ranch Dressing, Mayonnaise, Black Beans, onion and tomatoes. Drain pasta and return to the pan that you cooked it in. Pour in the pasta water until the pasta seems creamy. I usually use about 1/2 cup or a little more.
Once the pasta has cooled a bit, pour over the salad ingredients in the large bowl. Mix well and serve at room temperature.
Creamy BBQ Ranch Black Bean Pasta Salad … It’s what’s for a Summer Pasta Salad
Looking for more pasta salad ideas? How about this one that’s touted as
The Best Pasta Salad Ever
John/Kitchen Riffs says
June 6, 2017 at 6:29 pmExciting news! That sounds like a ton of fun. Work, of course, but fun work. Anyway, this is such a nice salad — what we like to eat at this time of the year. Thanks!
Debra says
June 12, 2017 at 12:36 pmLove the ranch and bbq combination. I always have it with my grilled chicken! Have fun at school- learning new things is alway exciting.
Cindy says
June 12, 2017 at 4:45 pmBest wishes for your newest endeavor. You will do great! I graduated from culinary school in 1998 at the age of 46. It was a goal I set up for myself in 1976. I waited until my daughter graduated from high school and was entrenched in college. I worked my full time job during the day and attended school during the evenings. It was a lot of work and effort BUT I enjoyed every minute of it. After graduating, I continued to work my full time job and worked at a resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. I’m retired now but I have very happy thoughts of my time in culinary school and at the resort. It was very satisfying and fulfilling. I hope that you have the same experience.