If there’s a picnic side dish that I don’t like, it’s a creamy macaroni salad. But if there’s a side dish that I do like, it’s pasta salad. I always use an oil and vinegar based dressing and pack my pasta salads with vegetables for something that’s easy and delicious. Even people who swear that they don’t like pasta salad will like this summer orzo pasta salad!
Orzo is a great choice in this recipe because it cooks quickly and allows all the other ingredients to sign. With summery ingredients like fresh corn, cherry tomatoes, and cucumbers, you want them to shine! Add in some bacon, goat cheese, red onion, and fresh chives and you have the perfect summer side dish. I’m sure this dish would also work with canned corn, but fresh summer corn is just so delicious in this salad.
I can’t believe that it’s already August, but the good news is that that fresh corn and tomatoes are still accessible for at least a few more weeks. I love to make this summer orzo pasta salad as a side dish, but I also love to make it as a lunch option for the week too. You can add some shredded chicken if you like or chickpeas for a vegetarian protein boost, but I think it’s pretty perfect as is.
- 1 lb. orzo pasta
- 10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 2 ears corn
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 1 cucumber
- ¼ cup chopped red onion
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ½ tsp. ground black pepper
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tbsp. dried oregano
- 3-4 tbsp. snipped fresh chives
- 4 oz. goat cheese
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook orzo pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Remove the kernels of corn from the cobs using a sharp knife and halve the cherry tomatoes. Peel the cucumber, remove the seeds with a spoon, and chop.
- In a large bowl, combine pasta, bacon, corn, tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion.
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, black pepper, salt, and oregano.
- Pour olive oil mixture over pasta and stir to combine.
- Top with fresh chives and crumbled goat cheese.
- Enjoy!
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