Summer Pasta Salad with Tomatoes, Cucumber and Corn
By Sammi Brondo — July 26, 2024
The easiest way to make a salad 100x times better? Pair with a bunch of pasta and call it a pasta salad.
This one is SO good: it comes delicious pasta, refreshing tomatoes and cucumbers, sweet corn, and salty feta, all with a delectably simple dressing.
Let’s start with the food groups. This recipe has got it all. Carbs. Protein. Veggies. Fat. Fiber. Truly everything you need for a filling and satisfying meal.
Next, the textures and flavors. Soft. Crunchy. Creamy. Salty. Savory. Sweet. Again, all the components we’re looking for.
And of course, this is just flat out easy to make. While the pasta is cooking, chop your veggies, drain the canned corn and whisk the dressing. Everything will be ready to go by the time the pasta is done cooking.
If you have a little extra time though, place your pasta in the fridge to cool it down a bit before assembling. Pasta salads are best served cold!
Now, let’s chat ingredients:
There was a time where I strictly bought and ate whole wheat or chickpea pasta. And don’t get me wrong, I love both of those. They’re a great way to add fiber and protein to pasta dishes.
But this dish is made with regular, standard pasta – a type of pasta that’s perfectly okay to eat too. It’s also nutritious – typically made with just durum wheat flour – and contains some protein and fiber too.
And honestly, even if it didn’t contain protein and fiber, it would still be okay to eat. It’s okay if not every single meal you make is made of the most nutritious ingredients, ever.
Health looks at the whole, big picture. And on the whole, with plenty of vitamins and minerals, this salad is nutritious without the whole wheat pasta. And more importantly, just straight up delicious.
Cook pasta & chop veggies
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for about 9-11 minutes, stirring occasionally.
While the pasta is cooking, chop cherry tomatoes into quarters.
Slice the cucumber in half lengthwise and cut into thin pieces.
Drain and rinse the corn. Using your hands, crumble the feta cheese.
Mix everything together
When the pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse. Add the cooked pasta to a large bowl (if you have time, set the pasta in the fridge for 20 minutes to let cool first).
Add tomatoes, cucumber, corn and crumbled feta to the bowl. Pour dressing on top and toss to combine.
Notes
- Substitutions: Many other summer veggies would work well here. If you aren’t into tomato and cucumber – or just want to add other veggies – try chopped red bell pepper, zucchini and/or summer squash. If you’re not into feta, try swapping for goat cheese or fresh mozzarella cheese.
- Pasta: I love the spiral fusilli shape because it really picks up and absorbs the dressing and its flavors.
- Storage: Store this pasta salad in an airtight container for 3-5 days. The longer it sits, the more flavorful it gets!
Ingredients
- 8 oz. fusilli pasta
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 2 mini cucumbers
- 1 1/2 cup canned corn
- 1 cup feta cheese about 1/4 of a block
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon dried chives
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- Salt
- Pepper
- Basil to garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for about 9-11 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While the pasta is cooking, chop cherry tomatoes into quarters. Slice the cucumber in half lengthwise and cut into thin pieces. Drain and rinse the corn. Using your hands, crumble the feta cheese.
- Make the dressing. In a bowl or glass cup with a lid, add olive oil, lime juice, maple syrup, chives, parsley, salt and pepper. Set aside.
- When the pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse. Add the cooked pasta to a large bowl (if you have time, set the pasta in the fridge for 20 minutes to let cool first).
- Add tomatoes, cucumber, corn and crumbled feta to the bowl. Pour dressing on top and toss to combine.
