I made this creamy pesto pasta salad on a whim for a friend’s BBQ, and it was instantly dubbed my new signature dish! Made with fresh basil pesto, sweet corn, crispy bacon, and a tangy twist, it’s an easy crowd-pleaser. My kids even gobbled it up for dinner—this one’s a winner!

Pesto Pasta Salad

This Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad with Corn and Bacon is the ultimate summer side dish—fresh, flavorful, and packed with texture. Sweet corn, crispy bacon, and crunchy bell pepper are tossed with tender pasta, ribbons of basil, and a creamy pesto-yogurt dressing for a dish that's just as perfect for a backyard barbecue as it is for a casual weeknight dinner. It’s easy to make, full of color, and bursting with flavor in every bite!

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Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 1 box noodles macaroni or rigatoni
• 2 ears of corn husked
• 1/2 lb bacon
• 1 bell pepper diced
• 1 handful fresh basil sliced into ribbons
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup pesto sauce homemade or store bought
• 2 tbsp Greek yogurt

Homemade Pesto:

• 2 handfuls fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup olive oil more as needed
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste

Method

 

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside in a large mixing bowl.
2. Boil the corn until it turns bright yellow and tender (about 5–7 minutes). Let cool, then cut the kernels off the cob.
3. Cook the bacon in a skillet until crispy. Drain on paper towels, then chop into bite-sized pieces.
4. Prep the remaining ingredients: dice the bell pepper, slice the basil, and grate the Parmesan cheese.
5. Mix the pasta salad: to the large bowl of pasta, add the bell pepper, corn, chopped bacon, and basil.
6. Make the creamy pesto dressing: in a small bowl, stir together the pesto and Greek yogurt until smooth and creamy.
7. Toss it all together: pour the pesto mixture over the pasta salad and mix until evenly coated.
8. Finish with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. Serve warm or chilled.

Homemade Pesto

1. In a blender, combine the basil leaves and pine nuts. Pulse until roughly chopped.
2. Add the grated Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Pulse a few more times to mix.
3. With slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add more oil if needed to reach your desired consistency.
4. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.

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Recipe Organization

I use a meal planning website, Plan to Eat, to organize all of my recipes, plan meals for the month, and create my weekly shopping list so that I don’t have to constantly Google my favorite recipes. I have been using it for 5 years now and I love it. I just copy and paste the link to any recipe on the internet into the app and it saves it all for me.

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