Salad recipes

Mexicali pasta salad: tricolor pasta tossed with tart tomatillos, sweet pineapple chunks, jalapeño, cilantro, and a lime-zest dressing made from the reserved pineapple juice. Sweet, tangy, fiery summer side.

Mexican pasta salad with cumin-rubbed chicken breast, fettuccine, lime, cilantro, and fresh zucchini. A weeknight bowl that bridges Italian comfort and Tex-Mex brightness.

A make-ahead layered pasta salad loaded with kidney beans, corn, bell peppers, and a creamy taco-seasoned dressing. This Southwestern pasta salad feeds a crowd and tastes even better the next day.

Bow-tie pasta tossed with salsa and melted Monterey Jack cheese, topped with crispy fried scallions. A quick Mexican-inspired pasta dish ready in 30 minutes.

Pasta Mexicana: a cold spinach-spaghetti pasta salad tossed with diced tomato, cucumber matchsticks, sliced avocado, salsa, and fresh cilantro. A Tex-Mex twist on summer pasta salad.

A cold tuna pasta salad with green chiles, horseradish mayo, green olives, and avocado tossed in shell pasta. Let it sit 2 hours for the flavors to meld.

Mexican-style bow ties: hearty pasta salad with seasoned ground beef, kidney beans, corn, tomatoes, cheddar, and a zippy yogurt-salsa dressing, topped with crushed tortilla chips. Warm or cold crowd-pleaser.

Easy, spicy-hot cold noodles for summer -- This recipe is an easy prepare-ahead dish for a hot summer day. It makes a good barbecue side dish for all of us who are tired of potato salads.