A few days back I was in the mood to do some grilling (actually, I am in the mood to grill most any day), however I was not sure of the sides I would make with some thinly sliced barbecue pork. I asked my wife who quickly came up with the idea of corn salad. She said, you know the one you made that one day that was really good? She got that mixed up with the corn and mango salsa, but that got my wheels moving to think of the salsa, but instead of using lime juice, and mint, to freshen it up another way.
This salad was really quick to put together and was a big hit with my wife and daughter. Keep in mind that my two tough boys aren’t into eating their vegetables as they should, otherwise, I am certain they would love it as well.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of corn kernels (fresh or frozen works well)
- 1 large roma tomato, diced
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
- 1 cup cooked Acini di pepe pasta
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- pinch of salt
- pinch of black pepper
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
Begin by cooking your pasta in salted, boiling water. This should only take about 6 minutes for the pasta to cook. Ancini di pepe is a really tiny pasta, known as the peppercorn of pasta. This pasta is perfect for this corn salad, trust me. Once you have cooked and drained the pasta, let it sit out and cool off. During this time, prep your vegetables, and cook your corn just until it comes to a boil. Drain and let your corn cool as well. You could run it under cold water if you are in a hurry.
To a large bowl, add in your corn and pasta, the chopped vegetables and basil, and toss with the vinegar and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
This is a really great salad, and will go well with any summertime dish.