Description
Light, fresh, and bursting with sunshine flavor — this Summer Pasta Salad with Corn is packed with juicy tomatoes, sweet corn, fresh herbs, and a zesty lemon dressing. Perfect for picnics, potlucks, or easy dinners all summer long!
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 oz short pasta (rotini, bow tie, or penne)
- 1½ cups fresh corn kernels (or frozen/thawed)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ cup fresh basil, chopped
- Optional: ½ cup crumbled feta or goat cheese
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Zest of 1 lemon (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Optional: red pepper flakes or honey
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente. Drain and rinse under cool water.
- If desired, sauté or grill corn for a charred flavor. Otherwise, slice kernels off raw cobs or use thawed frozen corn.
- In a jar or bowl, whisk olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, salt, pepper, and optional lemon zest or red pepper flakes.
- In a large bowl, combine pasta, corn, tomatoes, red onion, and basil. Pour dressing over and toss to coat.
- Fold in cheese if using. Chill for 30 minutes to let flavors meld or serve at room temperature.
Notes
Great make-ahead salad! Add delicate ingredients like cheese or herbs just before serving. Toss with grilled chicken or beans to turn it into a full meal.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Boiled
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 90mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 34g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 5mg
Keywords: summer pasta salad, corn salad, fresh herbs, lemon dressing, easy picnic side