Mexican Macaroni Salad

Ingredients

• 1 pound Uncooked Rotini Pasta
• 2 Tablespoons Grated Lime Peel
• 4 Tablespoons Lime Juice
• 1 cup Ranch Dressing
• 1 package (1 1/4 Oz. Packet) Taco Seasoning Mix
• 1 whole Large Avocado, Chopped
• 1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 1 can (3.8 Oz. Size) Sliced Olives
• 1 can (12 Oz. Size) Red Kidney Beans, Drained
• 3 Tablespoons Chopped Cilantro
• 2 cups Cherry Tomatoes, Chopped
• 1 can (4 1/2 Oz. Size) Green Chiles, Chopped

Preparation Instructions

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Rinse with cold water, drain.

Grate limes and place the peel in a bowl. Squeeze the juice from the limes and add to the bowl with the ranch dressing, taco seasoning, and chopped avocado. Stir.

In a large bowl, toss the pasta with the remaining ingredients: cheese, olives, beans, cilantro, tomatoes, and chiles. Right before serving, pour the dressing on top and mix well.

Note: Dressing on pasta usually gets absorbed in a few hours and loses a lot of flavor. As mentioned above, I recommend holding off on the dressing until you are ready to serve it, within an hour or sooner.