It’s not always possible but I try to make healthy recipes for my family all the time. Even if they aren’t totally “healthy” they are at least all natural. This week I made this yummy spinach, corn and pasta salad with homemade ranch dressing to go with BLT and cheese sandwiches made with nitrate-free turkey bacon. SO yummy!
Spinach and Corn Pasta Salad Recipe
I love a good pasta salad. Not macaroni salad made with mayonnaise like my mom made while I was growing up, but a combination of vegetables and pasta. I love this recipe because it uses a homemade ranch salad dressing. You could make it with greek yogurt for sure, but my husband bought me a giant container of sour cream from costco so I used that! He knows how much I love sour cream even in my healthy recipes!
The best way to make this is with leftover corn-on-the-cob and little organic grape tomatoes, but you can do it with frozen corn and diced tomatoes if need be. I like the extra juice diced tomatoes lend to the salad anyway! This recipe also uses fresh garlic which my husband actually requested the second time I made this, just two days after the first day! I guess it’s that good. Husband-approved! See all of the healthy recipes on this site here!
Spinach Corn and Pasta Salad
- 4 ounces spiral pasta
- 1 small garlic clove
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup buttermilk (make your own here)
- 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
- 1 scallion (minced)
- 2 small ears fresh corn
- 8 ounces grape tomatoes (preferably mixed heirloom, halved)
- 1/4 small red onion (thinly sliced lengthwise)
- 2 cups baby spinach (diced)
- 2 slices bacon (diced)
- Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions; drain and run under cold water to cool.
- Meanwhile, finely chop the garlic clove on a cutting board; sprinkle with salt. Using the blade of a chef’s knife, press down onto garlic, smashing it to make a paste. Add the garlic paste to a large bowl with the sour cream, buttermilk, cider vinegar and scallion; season with salt and pepper. Whisk the dressing until smooth and reserve.
- Cut the kernels from the corn (breaking sheets of kernels into about 2-inch pieces, if desired).
- Add the corn, tomatoes, onion and arugula to bowl with dressing; gently toss to coat.
- Sprinkle with the bacon.
Linking up to Crafty and Delicious Party!
Stephanie
Wednesday 21st of December 2016
Looks other than the raw tomatoes.
Mary Beth Elderton
Wednesday 14th of December 2016
This looks so refreshing. Love the combo!
Amy Green
Thursday 9th of June 2016
Spinach plus corn equals I'm there. I absolutely love pasta salad, and this sounds like a fun new way to incorporate these ingredients.