Roasted Tomato and Corn Pasta Salad is an herby pasta dish made with the best summer produce. Tomatoes are roasted in garlic and combined with a light dressing to make a delicious pasta!
I have been making pasta salad creations for as long as I remember. Most of those involved blocks of cheese and store bought salad dressing. I have switched things up with this Roasted Tomato and Corn Pasta Salad. A light homemade dressing is made with fresh herbs, tomatoes are roasted in garlic and summer corn is steamed. Combined with penne pasta, this dish tastes like summer!
If you are looking for another light pasta recipe that feeds a crowd, try this Herby Lemon Orzo Salad with Roasted Vegetables. Every time I make this, I get asked for the recipe and have no leftovers!
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Roasted Tomato and Corn Pasta Details
Flavor: This pasta tastes like summer! The pasta is sweet from the corn and roasted tomatoes and earthy from the herbs.
Time: 30 minutes. There are a few extra steps to make this pasta salad (roasting the tomatoes, steaming the corn and making the dressing). Trust me, all of these steps lead to a delicious dish!
Level of Difficulty: Medium! While all of the tasks in this recipe are simple, there are a few. If you plan ahead, you can make the dressing while the corn is steaming and make the tomatoes while the pasta is boiling.
Ingredients
Stop by your favorite farm stand for the freshest corn, tomatoes and herbs!
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Garlic Cloves
- Fresh Thyme Sprigs
- Salt and Pepper
- Penne Pasta- substitute another medium to short pasta such as Rotini, Campanelle or Farfelle would work in this recipe.
- Parmesan Cheese- use fresh grated if possible.
- Lemon Juice
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- Steamed Corn- substitute canned or frozen corn.
- Fresh Rosemary Sprigs
- Fresh Oregano
- Fresh Basil
Instructions
- Steam Corn. Remove corn husk and clean corn cobs. Bring water to a boil. Add corn and boil for 7 minutes. Remove from water and let cool. Once cool, use a sharp knife to remove corn kernels from cob.
- Make Pasta Dressing. While corn is steaming, combine the pasta dressing in a large mixing bowl. Add EVOO, lemon juice, basil, rosemary, oregano, crushed red pepper and parmesan. Whisk to combine.
- Roast Tomatoes. Add 1 tablespoon of EVOO to a sauté pan and turn heat to medium. Once EVOO is hot, add tomatoes, garlic and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until tomatoes have burst.
- Boil Pasta. While the tomatoes are roasting, cook the pasta according to box directions to make al dente pasta. Drain pasta.
- Combine pasta with dressing. While pasta is still hot, pour into dressing. Stir quickly to mix the dressing with the pasta.
- Combine pasta with tomatoes and corn. Add tomatoes with the garlic and juices. Add the corn and stir.
- Season with salt and pepper. Serve pasta hot or cold. If serving a few days after being made, you may have to add extra lemon juice or EVOO.
Variations
Here a few different ideas to change this recipe for different taste buds!
- Simpler - use canned or frozen corn and a store-bought salad dressing. I have been using this House Vinaigrette from Aldi. It is the perfect, light dressing and pairs well with the corn and tomatoes.
- Deluxe - add feta cheese! I like to add feta when the pasta is still hot so that it melts into the noodles.
- Kid friendly - If you are trying to incorporate more vegetables in your kiddo's diets, add some spinach to the tomatoes. Cook the spinach until it is wilted. Combine with the pasta and you will have a sneaky vegetable in the pasta salad!
Equipment
- 2 Large Pots (one for steaming corn, the other for boiling the pasta)
- Sauté Pan
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Large Rimmed Baking Sheet
Storage
Store pasta refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days. The pasta may absorb the dressing while refrigerated. If pasta seems dry, add EVOO and/or lemon juice and stir.
Top tip
Always use the bigger bowl! This pasta salad serves a crowd. Use a large bowl to mix the pasta with the dressing, corn and tomatoes.
Use high quality pasta. More expensive pasta is fresher. You can taste the difference in the texture and thickness of the pasta. I believe that more expensive pasta is more filling.
Have ingredients prepped and ready. Make sure that the dressing and tomatoes are ready to go when the pasta is done cooking. You want to combine all the ingredients when they are hot so that they easily mix together.
FAQ
Make pasta salad not soggy by not overdressing the pasta salad. In this Roasted Tomato and Corn Pasta Salad recipe, the dressing recipe is light and is simply made. Use the recipe card ingredient amounts. This will make a light dressing. If more dressing is needed at the time of serving, add EVOO and lemon juice until you reach the desired flavor.
Pasta salad tastes better the next day because the flavors have time to bind together. Be sure to stir and taste the pasta before serving to make sure that no dressing has settled in the bottom of the bowl. Season with salt and pepper and more dressing if necessary.
If you do not have fresh herbs, use dried herbs. Use a 3 to 1 ratio for fresh to dried herbs. So, if a recipe calls for 1 cup fresh herbs substitute the fresh herbs with ⅓ cup dried herbs.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this recipe:
📖 Recipe
Roasted Tomato and Corn Summer Pasta Salad
Equipment
- 1 Saute Pan
- 2 Large Pots
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
- 1 Microwavable Measuring Cup
- 1 Large Rimmed Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil plus 1 TBSP
- 10 oz Cherry Tomatoes
- 4 Garlic Cloves Chopped
- 2 Thyme Sprigs
- Salt and Pepper
- 1 lb Penne Pasta
- ½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1 Juice of a Lemon
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 6 Ears Steamed Corn Kernels removed
- 2 Rosemary Sprigs Chopped
- 1 tablespoon Oregano Chopped
- ½ cup Basil Chopped
Instructions
- Add 1 tablespoon EVOO to a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add cherry tomatoes, garlic cloves and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until tomatoes have burst. Remove from heat.
- Cook pasta al dente. Drain pasta.
- Add EVOO, parmesan cheese, basil, rosemary, oregano, crushed red pepper and lemon juice to a large bowl. Stir to combine. Add hot pasta and stir to coat pasta with dressing.
- Stir in corn and tomatoes with juice.
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