I love perusing farmers’ markets this time of year. There is so much to see and splurge on, from berries and bell peppers to stone fruit and squash. In fact, I had to exercise extreme restraint while strolling through the College of San Mateo Farmers’ Market on Saturday.
Somehow I managed to buy only what I needed: two ears of corn and a pint of cherry tomatoes. The next morning, I used them to make the ULTIMATE summer pasta salad with creamy cilantro dressing. This easy dish showcases seasonal produce at its peak and is perfect for warm weather. Enjoy it straight up or as a side.
(Note: You may have extra creamy cilantro dressing after preparing the summer pasta salad, but it’s delicious as a dip for crudités or sauce for fish tacos.)
Recipe adapted from Kalefornia Kravings.
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, stems removed
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon Aleppo pepper
- 8 ounces short pasta, like fusilli corti col buco
- 2 ears corn, husks and silk removed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for finish
- 1½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved crosswise
- ½ small red onion, finely diced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- kosher salt, to taste
- In a food processor or blender, purée all the dressing ingredients. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place corn on a baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Bake, turning occasionally, until kernels start to brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven. When cool enough to handle, use a sharp knife to shave off kernels from corn cobs and transfer to bowl with pasta.
- Add tomatoes, onion, cilantro and half of the dressing and toss to combine. Add additional dressing and salt to taste. Drizzle with olive oil and serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.
