Finely mince the garlic cloves and set aside. Seed the jalapeños by halving them lengthwise, scooping out the seeds with a small spoon, then finely dice into 1/4-inch pieces—I recommend wearing gloves to protect your hands from the oils. Roughly chop the cilantro and slice the cherry tomatoes into halves. Having everything prepped and ready will make the assembly process smooth and efficient.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, fresh lime juice, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, salt, black pepper, ground cumin, and chili powder until fully emulsified. The combination of lime juice and red wine vinegar creates the acidic backbone that will brighten the entire salad. Set the dressing aside while you prepare the pasta and vegetables.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente, then drain and let cool slightly. While the pasta cooks, drain and rinse the black beans under cool water to remove excess sodium and starch—this helps them maintain their firm texture. Drain the corn as well and rinse with warm water to remove any canning liquid.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta, drained black beans, and rinsed corn. Add the sliced cherry tomatoes, diced jalapeños, and chopped cilantro, then pour in about three-quarters of the vinaigrette from Step 2 and gently toss everything together until evenly coated. I like to reserve the remaining dressing to add just before serving, as this prevents the salad from becoming overly saturated and maintains the vegetables' texture during chilling.

Cover the salad and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours to allow the flavors to meld and the pasta to fully absorb the dressing. Just before serving, stir in the reserved dressing to refresh the salad and adjust the consistency—the pasta tends to soak up dressing as it sits, so this final addition brightens everything and brings back the intended flavor balance.