Bacon Corn Tomato Pasta Salad

Bacon, Corn, and Tomato Pasta Salad-this easy pasta salad is the perfect summer side dish.

Pasta salad with bacon, who’s in? All of my boys have their hands raised, including Josh. They LOVE this easy pasta salad. They think this Bacon, Corn, and Tomato Pasta Salad is the best pasta salad recipe ever. I’ve made it for them a few times this summer and every time I do, they vote me mommy and wife of the year. I need all of the votes I can get so I guess I better keep making this pasta salad:)

So what makes this the world’s best pasta salad, according to my boys? Obviously, the bacon. That is their favorite part. That is why they beg for this salad all summer long. But, there is more to this salad than just bacon. It also has:

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• pasta
• sweet corn
• tomatoes
• arugula
• geen onion
• white cheddar cheese

Our family isn’t big on pasta salads with mayonnaise so this is a no mayo pasta salad. Don’t worry, the pasta doesn’t need the mayo, it is delicious without mayonnaise. Instead of a mayo dressing, I whisk up a simple Dijon mustard dressing. It only takes minutes to make and really makes the flavors of the pasta salad POP!

Tips for making this easy pasta salad:

• You can cook the bacon in advance. We like to cook the bacon in the oven or smoke it on our Traeger Grill. Once cooked, place it on a plate lined with paper towels to remove excess grease. Place in a Ziploc bag and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• We like to use orecchiette pasta for this recipe. It is a nice size for pasta salad and the boys call the pasta “Mickey Mouse” ears.
• You don’t have to cook the sweet corn for this recipe. Just remove the corn kernels from the cob with a sharp knife and add them to the salad. If you don’t have fresh sweet corn, you can use thawed frozen corn.
• We use grape tomatoes for this pasta salad. Cherry tomatoes also work well. If you have a lot of large garden tomatoes to use up during the summer, you can chop them up and throw them in the pasta salad.
• We like to use white cheddar cheese, but regular cheddar or Gouda cheese is also fine.
• If you want to make the pasta salad vegetarian, you can leave out the bacon. I know, gasp!! My boys think I am crazy..ha! I mix all of the ingredients together, except the bacon, take my portion out, and then add in the bacon for the boys! I promise it is still delicious:)

The next time you need to make an easy pasta salad, make this Bacon, Corn, and Tomato Pasta Salad. It is great for picnics, potlucks, parties, or an easy weeknight meal. Enjoy!

If you like this recipe for pasta salad, you might also like:

Bacon Corn Tomato Pasta Salad

Everyone loves this easy pasta salad recipe with BACON! It is the perfect pasta salad for summer picnics, potlucks, and BBQ’s!

Yield: Serves 8-10

Prep Time:15 minutes

Cook Time:10 minutes

Total Time:25 minutes

Ingredients:

For the pasta salad:

• 12 ounces pasta (we use orecchiette)
• 8 strips cooked bacon, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 cup fresh sweet corn kernels (can use frozen corn)
• 3 cups arugula
• 1 cup white cheddar cheese cubes
• 3 green onions, chopped
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

For the dressing:

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions. While the pasta is cooking, make the dressing. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, and garlic. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste.
2. When the pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse with cold water. Put the pasta in a large bowl. Add the chopped cooked bacon, tomatoes, corn, arugula, cheese, and green onions.
3. Drizzle the dressing over the pasta salad and toss well. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve.

Note-the pasta salad will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

All images and text ©Two Peas & Their Pod.