Cowboy Salad (aka Southwestern Pasta Salad) Recipe

Cowboy Salad (aka Southwestern Pasta Salad) Recipe

  • 1 (16 ounce) package small pasta shells
  • 2/3 cup cider vinegar
  • 1 (15 ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained
  • 1 (12 ounce) can corn, drained
  • 1 cup minced celery
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup minced green bell pepper
  • 1/2 cup drained, pitted, and minced black olives
  • 6 green onions, minced
  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise, or to taste
  • 1 (2 ounce) jar diced pimentos, drained
  • 1 (2 ounce) jar pimiento-stuffed green olives, drained and minced
  • 1 tablespoon minced green chile peppers
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
  • 3 dashes hot pepper sauce (such as Cholula®)
  1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta shells in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, 8 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Pour vinegar over pasta.
  2. Mix black-eyed peas, corn, celery, vegetable oil, green bell pepper, olives, green onions, mayonnaise, pimentos, green olives, green chile peppers, salt, black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and hot pepper sauce into pasta mixture and stir well. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate, 1 to 3 days.