Description
A refreshing and balanced pasta salad featuring grilled chicken, bacon, sweet peaches, corn, and a sweet-spicy hot honey dressing. Perfect for quick lunches or meal prep, this dish combines fresh, seasonal flavors with satisfying textures in 35 minutes.
Ingredients
1 lb pasta (fusilli, orecchiette, or penne)
3 ears sweet corn, husks and silks removed, cut off the stem
Olive oil, for brushing the corn
2 large peaches, pit removed and chopped, or 3 small peaches
2 cups chopped grilled chicken
4 strips cooked bacon, chopped
1 1/2 cups cubed white cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup chopped red onion
3/4 cup chopped basil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup hot honey
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Cook the pasta al dente according to package instructions.
Drain the pasta and rinse it under cold water to cool it down for the salad.
While the pasta is cooking, brush the ears of corn with olive oil and grill them over medium heat until slightly charred, about 10 minutes.
Once hot, cut the kernels off the cob into a bowl.
Grill the chicken until fully cooked, about 5–7 minutes each side, then chop into bite-sized pieces.
Chop the cooked bacon into small pieces and set aside.
Combine cooled pasta, grilled corn, chopped peaches, grilled chicken, bacon, white cheddar, grape tomatoes, red onion, and basil into a large mixing bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together hot honey, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, 1/2 cup olive oil, and kosher salt to make the dressing.
Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and toss to coat everything evenly.
Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
Chill for 15–20 minutes before serving, if time permits.
Notes
Substitute hot honey with regular honey plus 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes if unavailable.
For a vegetarian version, omit the chicken and bacon.
This salad can be made the day ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Toss the salad just before serving to keep the peaches from browning too much.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Lunch
- Method: Grilling and Tossing
- Cuisine: American