Intolerances: Soy, Gluten optional
A fan favorite pasta salad. Light, bright, flavorful and will go with just about anything.

Every year we host a Fathers Day/Birthday barbecue with our friends. There are favorites that I know I can’t skip and this side dish is one of them. It is by far the most requested. We all know the pasta salads that are jam packed with ingredients and heavy dressings, well, this is the opposite. It is light, sweet and fresh. It begs you to eat more than one serving and warrants a nice piece of grilled meat to accompany it. It pains me to not be able to eat it, but the original version is just the best and I only feed the best to my people. 

Serve it with:

• Smoked Chicken Thighs
• Hamburger, Brats and Hot Dogs
• Pulled Pork Sandwich
• Grilled Turkey Burger
• Smoked Gouda Juicy Lucy

What you need:

• Orzo Pasta
• Cherry Tomato
• Sweet Corn (fresh or frozen)
• Mozzarella Pearls
• Fresh Basil
• Dry Basil
• Pine Nuts or Sunflower Seeds
• Olive Oil
• Rice Vinegar
• Dijon Mustard
• Kosher Salt
• Black Pepper
• Pot with Water
• Fine mesh colander 
• Serving Bowl and Spoon
• Cutting Board and Sharp Knife

The Pasta

Although you could use just about any noodle for this salad, orzo is really the best option. You’ll want to get your pot filled with water and bring it to a boil. Follow the instructions on the back of the box, boil the entire box of pasta and drain. Set pasta aside to begin cooling. You can see in the picture above that I am using Gluten Free because we had a few guests that needed it; however I typically make this with regular orzo, simply because it keeps better in the fridge as a cold pasta salad. That said, if you use GF pasta, just know that you may have to give it a quick reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds to soften up those noodles again.

The Add-Ins

The corn. If you can get your hands on fresh sweet corn on the cob, grab it. Prepare the corn to your liking – whether that be boiling it in a pot of water or grilling (grilling will give a nice light charred flavor). Once cooked and cooled, you will want to slice the corn off the cob and into a bowl. My favorite way to slice the corn off the cob is to get a large bowl and then a smaller bowl that fits inside. Flip the small bowl upside down so that you have a flat surface. Chop off one end of the corn on the cob to make it flat. Place the corn on the small bowl and hold it upright. Using your knife, slice down on the corn and rotate around. You’ll be able to get all of the kernels off easily. 

Your second option, simply buy frozen corn. I use frozen (as I did here today) when I am in a rush or the store doesn’t have it in stock yet. With frozen corn, melt a tablespoon of butter in a cast iron skillet and add the frozen corn. Let it cook for 5-10 minutes, just heating through to get those dark/bright colors.

Next, it is time to slice your cherry tomatoes in half. You can use your favorite ones, the sweeter, the better. Once they have been rinsed, use a sharp knife, slice each tomato in half. (Tip: if you don’t have a sharp knife or a sharpener, use a serrated knife to prevent “squishing” of the tomato). 

Wash and pat dry half a cup of basil and then chiffonade. I recommend leaving some of the stem on for additional flavor. Set the basil aside. 

I think mozzarella is the perfect cheese for this pasta dish. It feels similar to a caprese salad and begs for the mild flavor and provides a great smooth texture. I usually purchase the mozzarella pearls, they are a perfect size to go with the other items; however you can certainly slice and dice the larger mozzarella logs/balls. 

Finally, you will want to add toasted pine nuts or sunflower seeds. In order to toast these seeds/nuts, you will want to pour them into a frying pan and turn the heat to medium-low. Keep a close eye and continue to move them around. These can burn quickly, so don’t step away for too long, they’ll only need a minute or two. 

The Dressing

You can use just about any vinaigrette on this salad and it would be delicious, but I prefer my tried and true Rice Vinaigrette. It is really up to you how much dressing you like on your pasta salad. I would recommend making more than you need, at least 2 cups.

Assemble

Once everything is cooled down and prepped, mix all ingredients together gently. Add about a half of a cup of dressing, mix and taste. Continue adding until the flavor is where you want it. I like to serve this salad cold, so I will often slightly underdress the salad and let it chill in the fridge (covered). Once it is cool, I’ll give it a taste and add additional dressing if the flavor isn’t strong enough. Remember, you can add more, but you can’t remove it.