Smokey Southwestern Pasta Salad

• 1 lb shell pasta or 1 lb orecchiette
• 1 lime, juice and zest of
• 12 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon cumin seed, toasted & ground
• 1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
• 4 -8 ounces smoked mozzarella cheese, diced
• 1 small red onions or 2 shallots, finely diced
• 1 small red bell pepper, finely diced
• 3 jalapeno peppers, finely diced
• 8 -12 ounces frozen corn kernels
• 1 (12 ounce) can black beans, drained & rinsed
• 1 (12 ounce) canflame-roasted diced tomatoes, drained
• salt & pepper
• ground dried chili

1. Cook the pasta until al dente, then drain & shock to stop the cooking process.
2. While the pasta is cooking, zest the lime & reserve zest to one side.
3. Roll the lime on your counter, placing enough pressure to soften the pulp inside without breaking the lime's skin, then squeeze the juice into a large-sized bowl (something big enough to eventually hold all the ingredients).
4. Add the olive oil to the lime juice, whisk briefly, then add the cumin, oregano, cilantro & half the lime zest.
5. Whisk thoroughly.
6. Put all ingredients except the pasta into the bowl & toss to coat.
7. Taste at this point, adding salt, pepper and/or chiles as needed.
8. Return the cool pasta to its pot.
9. Pour the contents of the bowl over the pasta and stir together to combine.
10. Pour the pasta mix back into the bowl, sprinkle the remaining lime zest over the top to garnish, then cover & chill until ready to serve.

shell pasta, lime, extra virgin olive oil, cumin, oregano, fresh cilantro, mozzarella cheese, red onions, red bell pepper, peppers, corn kernels, black beans, tomatoes, salt, ground dried chili

Taken from www.food.com/recipe/smokey-southwestern-pasta-salad-286777 (may not work)