Just like husband and wife, so are tacos and pasta. Taco vegans marry with pasta forming a sweet, yummy and tasty salad. Taco salad originated in Texas in the 1990s. Claudia Roden traces the origin of pasta salad to the Italian Jews of the Roman empire. Taco pasta has been used and adapted by Mexicans hence its origin. The Mexican food goes along with many flavours and spices, bringing an excellent taste to the salad.
What’s Taco and Pasta?
Taco is a Mexican dish of rolled tortillas filled with mixtures like beans, seasoned mince and chicken.
Pasta is an Italian dish that’s prepared by cooking in water. It is made up of dough(made of wheat and water) in any form.
Taco Pasta salad ingredients
- Pasta: for high nutritional value and vibrant colour, use vegetable tricoloured whole grain pasta.
- Walnut taco meat: make your walnut taco meat using sundried tomatoes, spices and walnuts.
- Corn: preferably, use fresh corn from the cob.
- Pinto beans: for a creamy, meaty, nutty taste, use pinto beans.
- Cilantro/Chinese parsley: cilantro adds a fresh, citrusy and soapy taste adding flavour to the salad.
- Vegan southwest dressing: use lime juice, onion powder, salt, or pepper to prepare the vegan southwest dressing.
- Grape tomatoes: grape tomatoes are small in size, with fewer seeds. They add colour to the salad.
- Green onions: green onions, also known as scallions, have a crunchy texture that is perfect for the salad.
- Red bell peppers: red bell peppers are sweet and add colour to the salad. They add more ‘beauty’ to the salad.
Taco Pasta salad recipe ingredient substitutions
- Any size, type or shape of pasta works perfectly. Choose your preferred type. Also, those allergic to gluten can alternatively use gluten-free pasta.
- Use any taco plant-based type from the various types.
- Red bell peppers can be substituted with green peppers.
- Green onions can be perfectly substituted by red or white onions.
- As compared to grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes are a bit larger. They can be used but cut in smaller sizes.
- Black beans can be used alternatively in place of pinto beans.
- In the absence of fresh corn, use canned or frozen corn. Frozen/canned corn should be cooked and allowed to cool before being added to the salad. Drain all the cold water from the cooked corn.
- All the ingredients should be blended using a blender to realize full taste.
Making the pasta salad
As the pasta cooks, prepare the walnut taco. Chop the other veggies, then cut the tomatoes.
Try and use a Vegetable chopper for uniformity. Vegetable chopper also saves preparation time as it chops easily and faster.
Rinse, and drain the cooked pasta. To bring the pasta to room temperature, run cold water through it.
In a large bowl, transfer the cooled pasta. Add all the other ingredients.
Stir thoroughly to combine.
Add the southwest dressing to the mixture in the large bowl and stir thoroughly to combine.
The salad is ready to serve. Cover to your time of wish or use immediately.
Vegan Taco Meat Variations
Below are meat variations or types that can work perfectly in the recipe. In case of a miss of walnut meat;
- Tofu Taco Meat: made from blended spices of Mexican foods, baked then air fried.
- Jackfruit Carnitas: made from blended orange juice sauce and jackfruit with various Vegetables.
- Mushroom Meat: a mixture from combining mushrooms and walnut.
- Roasted Mexican vegetables: various vegetables are put together, and Mexican spices are added and roasted in a sheet pan.
- Cauliflower Tacos: made from seasoned Mexican spices and roasted.
- Lentil Taco meat: taco seasoning, vegetable broth, tomatoes and lentils can be cooked together to make a tastier feeling.
- Tempeh Taco Meat: in a mixture of sauces and spices, tempeh is boiled, crumbled and cooked.
Nutritional value of Taco Pasta salad
- It contains calcium and iron to strengthen teeth/bones and blood oxygenation.
- It has fiber components that are necessary for food digestion.
- Fresh corn is rich in carbohydrates that are responsible for body energy.
Serving suggestions
- Serve as a dip salad for chips and salsa.
- Serve with Spanish rice.
- Serve with Mexican black beans.
- Serve with Mexican sweet potatoes.
- Taco pasta can also be served as a course meal.