Summer Corn and Tomato Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- ½ pound pasta (we used rotini)
- 1/2 cup of kraft italian dressing or alternatively you can use;
- 1 large lemon
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ cups grilled corn kernels (about 2-3 large ears of grilled corn)
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Roast or grill your corn:
If you choose to roast it, preheat your oven to 350F and trim your corn - you can place it inside the oven in the husk. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
Chop your tomatoes - try the plate trick at your own risk.
Roast or grill your corn:
If you choose to roast it, preheat your oven to 350F and trim your corn - you can place it inside the oven in the husk. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
Chop your tomatoes - try the plate trick at your own risk.
Cook the pasta:
- Cook the pasta in salty, boiling water until it's just shy of al dente (the pasta will continue to soften as it cools: undercooking it just a bit helps it stay al dente once the salad is done!)
- Reserve 2 Tablespoons of starchy pasta water, then drain the pasta.
- Rinse the pasta with a bit of cold water to halt the cooking process. Set it aside to cool while you prep the sauce.
If you decided to make the dressing:
- Zest and juice your lemon, then add zest and juice to a large bowl. (You should have about ¼ cup of lemon juice).
- Add olive oil to lemon juice and whisk to combine.
Assemble:
- Add cooked, cooled pasta directly to the italian dressing or lemon juice mixture, then add the reserved pasta water. Stir to evenly coat the pasta with the sauce. Don't worry if there's some liquid left at the bottom of the bowl - the pasta will soak this up as it sits!
- Add grilled corn kernels, tomatoes, chopped cilantro, salt, and pepperto taste. Stir to combine.
- Cover pasta salad and store in the fridge until you're ready to serve.
