When I think of summer cookouts I think of pasta salad and this recipe is the perfect Summer Pasta Salad. It’s got fresh picked sweet corn from the stands on the side of the road (here in Illinois anyways), garden fresh cherry tomatoes and a variety of fresh herbs. Not to mention bacon. Bacon makes everything more delicious.
I love eating cold pasta salad in the summer. It’s basically a meal in itself and I could eat the whole bowl so it really just works out. But if you’re looking for something to bring to a BBQ, party, birthday or any kind of summer get together then Summer Pasta Salad is a sure bet.
Ingredients for Summer Pasta Salad
- Pasta (I used orecchiette)
- Bacon
- Onion
- Garlic
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Corn on the Cob
- Fresh Basil
- Fresh Chives
- Feta Cheese
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
- White Wine Vinegar
- Dijon Mustard
- Granulated Sugar
- Romano Cheese
- Italian Seasoning
Tips for the best Summer Pasta Salad
- Personally I like to make my pasta salad a day ahead of time so the flavors can meld. If you choose to do that, save a little extra dressing to add in the next day because the pasta will soak it up
- You can cut the sweet corn off of the cob raw and use it or boil it first before cutting. I actually used it raw here and love it. A fun little tip I learned from my 2 year old!
- Don’t over cook the pasta, cook it to al dente. Nobody likes over cooked squishy noodles
- Al dente means cooked to still be a bit firm when bitten
- Drain the pasta well so you don’t have extra water watering your dressing down
- You can make the dressing up to 2 weeks ahead of time
- Make extra dressing and keep it in the fridge for lettuce salads too!
- I love using a food processor to make my vinaigrettes instead of a whisk and bowl. The food processor helps the dressing get blended quick enough to emulsify it
- Using Dijon mustard or an egg yolk in any of your vinaigrettes will help keep them emulsified!
How to make the vinaigrette
Vinaigrettes are easy to make and pack a lot of flavor. For this vinaigrette you’ll need to place all the vinaigrette ingredients except the oil into a food processor. Blend for 10 seconds on low. With the food processor still on low start slowly drizzling in the oil through the top spout.
Once all the oil is drizzled in continue running the food processor for 5 more seconds. Turn the food processor off and pour the vinaigrette into a container, setting aside for later. The vinaigrette is good for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. I love using ball jars to store my dressings https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0764L6ZR9/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0764L6ZR9&linkCode=as2&tag=inkristaskitc-20&linkId=1136e35a0083adca533b7aa8af556ce9
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If you make this recipe please leave a rating and/or comment! Also tag me @inkristaskitchen in your Instagram photos, I love to see what you’re making!
Summer Pasta Salad
Equipment
- food processor
Ingredients
Vinaigrette
- ⅓ cup white wine vinegar
- 2.5 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp Romano cheese grated
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp lemon juice fresh squeezed
- 1 cup olive oil
Pasta Salad
- 12 oz dried pasta I used orecchiette
- 1 tbsp olive oil for the pasta water
- 1 tbsp kosher salt for the pasta water
- 12 oz bacon thick cut
- 1 medium onion fine dice
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 4 ears sweet corn
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- ¾ cup fresh basil torn
- ½ cup feta crumbled
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ¼ cup fresh chives
Instructions
Making the Vinaigrette
- Add all vinaigrette ingredients to the food processor and turn on low until blended
- With the food processor still on low, slowly drizzle the olive oil in through the top opening of the food processor until fully incorporated. Let the food processor run another 5 seconds after all the oil is added
- Pour dressing into a container and save for later
For the Pasta Salad
- Boil a pot of water in a medium sauce pan. Add the salt and olive oil to the water
- Once the water boils add the pasta and cook until al dente
- Drain the pasta, rinse with cold water and pour into a bowl
- Meanwhile while the pasta is cooking, chop the bacon into ½ inch pieces and sauté to your desired doneness
- While the bacon is cooking, dice the onion and mince the garlic
- Once the bacon is finished cooking, remove it from the pan with a slotted spoon and let it drain on a plate lined with several paper towels
- Begin to sauté the onion in the bacon grease over medium heat and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt
- After 1 minute of sautéing the onion, add in the minced garlic and cook for 2 more minutes over medium heat
- Scoop the onion and garlic mixture out and add it to the pasta along with the cooked bacon
- Cut the sweet corn off the cob and add it to the pasta. (if you prefer to cook the sweet corn first then boil it for 5 minutes, let it cool then cut it off the cob and add it to the pasta)
- Add the halved cherry tomatoes, torn basil, feta, salt, pepper, sliced chives and vinaigrette to the pasta and toss well
- Enjoy immediately or refrigerate until the next day to let the flavors meld. Reserve a bit of the vinaigrette to toss the salad with the next day if you're keeping it overnight
Great summer salad!
Thank you!