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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.
Corn pasta salad
This tasty pasta salad features fresh produce (corn and bell peppers), fresh cilantro, and basil pasta! It's a flexible and easily adjustable recipe that can be changed to whatever you have on hand.
- Use fresh corn, leftover corn on the cob, canned corned, or even frozen kind (defrosted).
- The recipe uses basic ingredients found in most pantries - what a perfect everyday salad to serve with your weeknight dinner for your family and friends. It also makes a beautiful presentation when prepared for a special occasion or holiday.
- This salad keeps well refrigerated, so it's a perfect recipe for meal prep, or to make ahead for lunch and snacks.
- Other pasta salads I recommend are peach pasta salad with arugula and tomatoes or this tasty Greek pasta salad with spinach and cherry tomatoes.
Easy 30-minute pasta salad
- Sweet corn is combined with pasta shells (I used orecchiette pasta), bell peppers, and chopped cooked bacon to create a wonderful sweet and savory flavor pairing. The salad can be easily made ahead by precooking the pasta, bacon, and corn (if using fresh corn on the cob). And, the recipe will take only 30 minutes of your time!
- The delicious salad dressing combines store-bought or homemade basil pesto, Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, and lime juice. You'll be in love with this summer salad that you can make year-round!
Why make it
- Looking for new ways to use corn in the recipes? This pasta salad combines the sweetness of the corn with savory ingredients to produce a very flavorful salad.
- This salad will pair beautifully with any summer dinner. You can also serve it as a light snack, lunch, or even dinner!
- It's a great appetizer to bring to parties, BBQs, cookouts, and other festivities!
How to make creamy pesto salad dressing
- In a mason jar, whisk together basil pesto with Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, and freshly squeezed lime juice until well combined.
- Tip: 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, the combination of what I just listed.
How to make corn pasta salad
- First, you will cook the pasta in boiling water according to the package instructions.
- While the pasta is cooking, proceed with preparing the rest of the ingredients. In a large bowl, combine cooked corn kernels, diced bell pepper, and chopped cooked bacon.
- Then, add cooked and drained pasta. Mix to combine.
- Next, you will distribute the salad into individual salad bowls.
- Finally, top individual servings with the creamy pesto dressing and sprinkle the chopped fresh cilantro on top.
Variations
- Pasta. I used orecchiette pasta but you can use any kind of short pasta. This includes small pasta shells, and fusilli (spiral pasta). Bow-tie pasta (farfalle) will be your next best choice. Or, you can use penne, rigatoni, or rotini.
- Use prosciutto instead of bacon. You can briefly crispy up the prosciutto in the preheated oven at 350 F for about 10 minutes.
- Fresh herbs. I use fresh cilantro here, you can also use fresh basil leaves or fresh thyme.
- Add cheese if you like. Feta cheese, goat cheese, or small Mozzarella balls (pearls) are all great choices! You can also sprinkle the corn pasta salad with grated Parmesan cheese.
- Add a protein, such as grilled chicken, sauteed or grilled shrimp, or salmon to make it a perfect and easy weeknight dinner!
Cooking tips
- Cook pasta al dente for best texture. This kind of texture works the best with the pasta salad especially if you want to make it ahead. To cook pasta al dente, you normally have to boil pasta 2 minutes shorter than normal. For example, if the package instructions tell you to boil pasta for 10 minutes - cook the pasta in boiling water for 8 minutes instead.
- Make it gluten-free. Use gluten-free pasta of your choice. Lentil or chickpea gluten-free pasta will taste great here.
Storage tips
- Store leftover corn pasta salad in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- If you plan on refrigerating the salad, you can combine all the salad ingredients, except the salad dressing and fresh cilantro. Add creamy pesto salad dressing and cilantro last minute before serving.
- You can easily make this salad ahead by combining all salad ingredients together except the salad dressing and fresh cilantro. Add those two immediately before serving.
Other pasta salads you might like
- Summer Pasta Salad with Peaches, Spinach, Tomatoes, Prosciutto, and Mozzarella Cheese
- Broccoli Ranch Pasta Salad with Bacon, Tomatoes, Sweet Peas, and Cheddar Cheese
- Greek Tortellini Salad with Tomatoes, Avocados, Cucumbers, and Feta Cheese
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
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.
Absolutely a delish salad! I made this for my husband and I for dinner and it really hit the spot! It’s so hot and nothing sounded good and this was a big hit for us! Thank you so much for the recipe! I’ll be looking for more!
Thank you, Pam, for such a sweet comment, I appreciate it! 🙂 🙂
This was perfectly awful, bland and tasteless, which is absolutely the last thing I expected based on the photo. The dressing itself is good, but when distributed through the salad is not enough to give much flavor. I made the mistake of not doing a practice run before committing to bring it to a picnic. After the first bite I just didn't want another. I will not be making it again. I am skeptical of the vast number of 5-star ratings from "Anonymous", close to 800 of them, and funny that of all those, none had anything to say....
You certainly had a lot to say! Based on your lengthy comment, I wonder if you even made the recipe. What's your name by the way, DRG?
Hi Julia - just came across your recipe for Sausage Stuffed Butternut squash - really excited to try it soon! I am also a Colorado lady - Colorado Springs - so I can tell by your recipes we have a similar vibe (although I'm gluten free for medical reasons).
I am very happily struck by your prose - for me, the lack of mindless yammering about one's life, stories about grandma, anecdotal tales, etc. is SO REFRESHING! Can't tell you how frustrating it is to slog through such drivel just to get to a recipe. Your writing style is, while informative, lively and engaging, which is much appreciated. Thanks a million - will be trying more of your recipes right away.
Hi Leslie, reading your comment made my day in a big way and made me smile, too. So glad my recipes resonate with you and I hope you find many you like on my site. Aren't we lucky to live in Colorado and enjoy these beautiful mountains?!
All set to make this and realized I don’t have any yogurt. Is there anything I can substitute?
Hi Nancy, you can use sour cream or simply mayo and just add extra lime juice in that case. Enjoy! 🙂
So good. I love the brightness of the lime in the dressing! I swapped out the orecchiette for tortellini and added some fresh peas from the garden. A new summer fave!
So glad it's a new favorite! And, I love that you used tortellini!
Genuinely the grossest thing I’ve ever eaten. Was nauseous for hours after eating it.
Hi Katelyn. It could be the quality of the store-bought basil pesto - not all of them are good. This is delish with the homemade basil pesto that is really easy to make - here is my version:
https://juliasalbum.com/basil-pesto/
Very very yummy. I made homemade Pesto for this. The pesto was so delicious that I didn’t want to alter that taste so I opted to leave the Lime juice out. The pasta salad was delicious, would definitely make again.
Aww, thank you for such a wonderful review, Crystal. So glad you tried my basil pesto recipe with this salad. 🙂
DELICIOUS!! I added shrimp to make it an entree and it was perfect! Thank you!
I am so happy to hear this recipe worked well with shrimp!
Can we use anything other than mayo??
You can use plain Greek yogurt, regular yogurt, or sour cream instead of mayo. Enjoy! 🙂
Absolutely delicious. Couldn’t find orecchiette, so used medium sized shells, which are pretty close. Followed recipe exactly, with the exception of adding mozzarella pearls. And will maybe double the bacon next time, as didn’t feel like there was nearly enough. Also used corn cut fresh from the cob, which really makes a difference. Rave reviews all around.
Wow, Susan, your comment really made my day! 🙂 So glad this recipe was a hit! And, I love the addition of Mozzarella pearls! 🙂
Definitely a keeper! This is an amazing summer salad that is even better the next day!
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you for your wonderful review!! 🙂
So, I did this recipe tonight thinking it was an entree and it really ended up being a side dish. However, it was delicious, and I told my husband we should make with chicken or even shrimp. Husband is quickly cooking up a pork loin to go with.
I logged onto the website and what was the first thing I saw? The recipe for chicken and corn pasta with basically the same ingredients.
We decided this would be a great picnic salad to make but we definitely need more protein to make it a family entree.
P.S. We love Julia recipes!
This recipe would be great with added chicken and shrimp! It would even work well with store-bought rotisserie chicken. I am so glad you're enjoying my recipes. 🙂 🙂
I’m making this salad for a picnic. Can I mix everything together with the dressing and serve like a pasta salad?
Yes, you can definitely serve this as a pasta salad for a picnic!
I reviewed this a few minutes ago and forgot to add that I put the pesto in the dressing so the whole salad gets the fresh pesto flavor. I would recommend this if you’re a big pesto fan like me!
I love pesto dressing! I will be making more salad recipes with it!
This is our new favorite summer salad! I only had Miracle Whip so I added more lime to cut the sweetness. I had Trader Joe’s frozen roasted corn. Great alternative. I added extra bacon and used fresh refrigerated pesto.
My family and all the guests loved it. This will be our new go to summer salad from now on! Thank you for sharing!
Laurie, I am happy it's a new favorite for you! 🙂
Is this served cold or warm?
Nicole, I would serve this warm or at room temperature. Not refrigerator cold (I don't like cold bacon). 🙂