Chicken and Corn Pasta Salad with Bacon
Chicken and Corn Pasta Salad with Bacon is super simple and takes only 30 minutes to make – a perfect choice for a weeknight dinner. This recipe combines chicken and fresh corn on the cob into a delicious main dish. Make this Summer pasta salad year-round for dinner or lunch. Or, share it with family and friends at Summer gatherings, potlucks, picnics, BBQs, and cook-outs.
Prep Time: 15minutes
Cook Time: 15minutes
Total Time: 30minutes
Servings: 4 people
INGREDIENTS:
Pasta
8 oz orecchiette pasta or other short pasta
Chicken
1 lb skinless boneless chicken thighs
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon chili powder
salt and black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salad dressing
⅓ cup basil pesto store-bought or homemade
3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
Salad ingredients
1 cup corn kernels cooked
1 red bell pepper diced
6 strips bacon cooked and sliced
fresh basil chopped
salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS:
Cook pasta
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions. Drain. While the pasta is cooking, proceed with the rest of the recipe.
Cook chicken
Generously season the chicken thighs with Italian seasoning, chili powder, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
Heat an empty cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes. This allows the cast-iron skillet to heat through.
Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add chicken thighs. Cook the chicken on medium heat for 5 minutes on one side, without moving it.
Flip the chicken thighs over, reduce heat to low-medium, and cook for about 5 more minutes or longer on the other side, undisturbed, until it’s cooked through. The meat thermometer should register 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the chicken. Remove from heat.
Slice the chicken thinly.
Make salad dressing
In a mason jar, whisk together basil pesto with Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, and freshly squeezed lime juice.
If your dressing is too thick, you can thin it out by adding more Greek yogurt, small amounts of water, or extra lime juice (or lemon juice). Or, the combination of what I just listed.
Assembly
In a large bowl, combine cooked and drained pasta, cooked corn kernels, diced bell pepper, and chopped cooked bacon. Mix to combine.
Distribute into individual salad bowls. Top with sliced cooked chicken. Top with the salad dressing. Sprinkle the chopped fresh basil on top.
Notes:
Corn. I used 1 cup of cooked corn kernels. That equals to 2 ears of corn (corn on the cob).
Basil pesto. Use store-bought or homemade basil pesto.
Pasta. I used orecchiette pasta in this recipe. The next best choice would be fusilli (spiral pasta) or farfalle (bow-tie pasta).
Nutritional Info:
Calories: 639kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 638mg | Potassium: 602mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1496IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 2mg