Corn Pasta Salad with Bacon and Creamy Pesto Dressing
Corn Pasta Salad with Bacon and Creamy Pesto Dressing takes only 30 minutes and makes a beautiful appetizer, light meal, or even dinner! This crowd-pleasing side dish is perfect for sharing and bringing to picnics, potlucks, BBQs, or parties. Your family and friends with love the fresh, savory, and sweet combination of flavors! Make it in the Summer and year-round.
Ingredients
Corn pasta salad
- 8 oz orecchiette pasta or other short pasta
- 1 cup corn kernels cooked
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 4 slices bacon cooked and sliced
- fresh cilantro chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Salad dressing
- ⅓ cup basil pesto store-bought or homemade
- 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons lime juice freshly squeezed
US Customary – Metric
Instructions
Cook pasta
-
Bring a pot of water to boil. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions. Drain.
-
While the pasta is cooking, proceed with the rest of the recipe.
Make salad dressing
-
In a mason jar, whisk together basil pesto with Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, and freshly squeezed lime juice.
-
If your dressing is too thick, you can thin it out by adding more Greek yogurt, small amounts of water, or extra lime juice (or lemon juice). Or, combination of what I just listed.
Assembly
-
In a large bowl, combine cooked and drained pasta, cooked corn kernels, diced bell pepper, and chopped cooked bacon. Mix to combine.
-
Distribute into individual salad bowls. Top with the salad dressing. Sprinkle the chopped fresh cilantro on top.
Notes
- Corn. I used 1 cup of cooked corn kernels. That equals to 2 ears of corn (corn on the cob).
- Basil pesto. Use store-bought or homemade basil pesto.
- Pasta. I used orecchiette pasta in this recipe. The next best choice would be fusilli (spiral pasta) or farfalle (bow-tie pasta).
Nutrition
Nutrition Information
Corn Pasta Salad with Bacon and Creamy Pesto Dressing
Amount per Serving
Calories
316
% Daily Value*
Fat
15
g
23
%
Saturated Fat
4
g
25
%
Trans Fat
0.03
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
3
g
Monounsaturated Fat
4
g
Cholesterol
13
mg
4
%
Sodium
317
mg
14
%
Potassium
209
mg
6
%
Carbohydrates
35
g
12
%
Fiber
2
g
8
%
Sugar
4
g
4
%
Protein
9
g
18
%
Vitamin A
922
IU
18
%
Vitamin C
27
mg
33
%
Calcium
42
mg
4
%
Iron
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.