This easy Corn, Bacon and Arugula Pasta Salad is smothered in a creamy honey Dijon dressing and loaded with fresh, sweet corn, crispy bacon and fresh arugula! It makes the perfect side to grilled meats and will be on repeat in our house all summer long!
Barbecue season is upon us! Bring on all the grilled meats and, just as importantly in my books, the delicious sides! Seriously, I am all about the side dishes at a cook out. Don’t get me wrong, I like the mains too but as I have never been a huge meat-lover, its the side dishes that usually steal the show for me.
I love a good salad, especially one that is loaded up with toppings! But when that salad is carb based too? Oh boy am I here. for. it! Pasta salads are not only delicious, but they are so fun to make and switch up with an endless combo of add-ins. They’re also great make-ahead options so I don’t have to scramble last minute! I am all about that! Finally, if you are bringing this pasta salad to a cookout or potluck, it travels well too!
Now I know I say this about a lot of things, but this pasta salad is seriously my new favourite! I mean, it has bacon so it instantly stole my heart. Add to it fresh corn, freshly sliced off the cob, fresh greens, and a killer honey-mustard dressing and you are set!
How to make Corn, Bacon and Arugula Pasta Salad
To make a big bowl of this pasta salad, you will need:
For the pasta salad:
- 2 ears corn, shucked
- 1 tablespoon butter
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 350g pasta (any small pasta will do such as penne, shells, etc)
- 4 slices bacon
- 145g (5oz) arugula
- Fresh basil and thyme, to garnish (optional)
For the dressing:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 1/4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Rub corn with a little butter and season with salt and pepper. Place on the baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, flipping half way through. If you would like more colour on the corn, you can place under the broiler for a little, keeping an eye on it to ensure it does not burn.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and run under cold water.
Head a skillet over medium-high heat and cook the bacon until crispy, flipping to ensure both sides are cooked. Let them cool and then slice into bite sized pieces.
To make the dressing, whisk all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Taste and adjust to suit your taste if needed.
To assemble the salad, place the pasta, arugula and corn in a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss to coat everything evenly. Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed. Top with the bacon pieces and additional herbs. Serve.
I hope you enjoy this pasta salad as much as we do!
-Cathy
You may also like:
Caprese Tortellini Pasta Salad
Healthy Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
Healthy Caesar Pasta Salad
Corn, Bacon and Arugula Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the pasta salad:
- 2 ears corn shucked
- 1 tablespoon butter
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 350 g pasta (any small pasta will do such as penne, shells, etc)
- 4 slices bacon
- 145 g arugula (5oz)
- Fresh basil and thyme to garnish (optional)
For the dressing:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 1/4 tablespoons lemon juice fresh
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Rub corn with a little butter and season with salt and pepper. Place on the baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, flipping half way through. If you would like more colour on the corn, you can place under the broiler for a little, keeping an eye on it to ensure it does not burn.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and run under cold water.
- Head a skillet over medium-high heat and cook the bacon until crispy, flipping to ensure both sides are cooked. Let them cool and then slice into bite sized pieces.
- To make the dressing, whisk all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Taste and adjust to suit your taste if needed.
- To assemble the salad, place the pasta, arugula and corn in a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss to coat everything evenly. Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed. Top with the bacon pieces and additional herbs. Serve.
Note: Metric ingredient measurements are provided as a courtesy using a third-party calculator and are rounded to the nearest unit. The recipes provided on this site have not been tested with metric measurements and their accuracy cannot be verified.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is based on third-party calculations and is an estimate only. Accurate nutritional facts will vary based on the particular brands used, portion sizes, measurement accuracy and more.
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I added freshly grated Parmesan on top after I mixed it all together, and it was a hit. I’m not a pasta salad person and even I loved this.
So happy to hear! Parmesan makes everything better!