Summer Pasta Salad
Pasta salad with fresh sweet corn, bacon, tomatoes, basil and a homemade sweet Romano vinaigrette
Servings: 10 people
Calories: 683kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
Vinaigrette
- ⅓ cup white wine vinegar
- 2.5 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoon Romano cheese grated
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice fresh squeezed
- 1 cup olive oil
Pasta Salad
- 12 oz dried pasta I used orecchiette
- 1 tablespoon olive oil for the pasta water
- 1 tablespoon 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 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon 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
Notes
Let pasta salad sit for a few hours so the flavors can meld.
Save a little extra dressing to the side if not serving until the next day. Add the extra right before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 683kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 59g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 1202mg | Potassium: 154mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 253IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 1mg
