Pack 14 Grams Of Protein Into Pasta Salad By Making It Cowboy Style

When considering foods associated with cowboys, you might think of the kind of campfire meals that built the American West — but probably not pasta salad. Don't get too hung up on the roots of the appellation, though — our hearty, delicious recipe for cowboy-style pasta salad packs in beans, cheese, spices, and 14 grams of protein. 

To get a sense of this salad, it will help if you're already familiar with cowboy caviar (sometimes also known as Texas caviar), which has nothing to do with fish eggs, but is instead primarily a bean salad or dip. Cowboy caviar will typically comprise black beans and black-eyed peas, along with diced tomatoes, peppers, onions, and herbs, though you will find many variations including further ingredients. Our recipe takes inspiration from cowboy caviar and turns it into a more substantial dish.

Our recipe is the antithesis of any bland pasta salad you may have been disappointed by in the past, with a rainbow-colored symphony of textural contrasts and assertive yet complementary flavors. Amongst the ditalini pasta, you'll find some sharp crunch from red onion and bell pepper, offset by creamy avocado and the savory richness of cotija cheese, bound together by a dressing that subtly balances heat, sweetness, and acidity through its combination of honey, apple cider vinegar, and smoked paprika. The goodly amount of healthy protein the salad provides can be attributed chiefly to the black-eyed peas and the black beans, with the former being incredibly nutrient-rich and the latter also acting as a great source of antioxidants.

Our pasta salad isn't the only dish to customize cowboy caviar — it has also inspired recipes for casserole and soup, and can be used in an excellent stuffing for baked bell peppers. While you may think everything that goes into this cowboy-style pasta salad would be more than enough, there are further fun elaborations that can be made if you really want to up the level of protein.

Among the many delicious ways to add protein to pasta salad, one is to incorporate some diced grilled chicken. If you're concerned that the chicken might be insufficiently flavorsome, you can easily make your own Cajun spice mix to season the meat before cooking (and for those with particularly carnivorous appetites, the chicken can be combined with some kielbasa sausage ). If you agree with us at Tasting Table that it's virtually impossible to have too much cheese, you could supplement the cotija with another high-protein option like mozzarella, Parmesan, or Swiss.   Finally, if you've reached the stage where you cannot imagine cramming anything else into your cowboy caviar, remember to think about what to serve with it — a good protein-boosting accompaniment would be fried or scrambled eggs on the side, bringing some welcome warmth to this otherwise cold (but never boring) salad.