BLT Pasta Salad with Fresh Corn

BLT Pasta Salad with Fresh Corn
A Crowd-Pleasing Side Dish For BBQ

Every year on the last Monday of May, it is our duty and privilege to honor those who have laid down their lives to defend our freedom and ensure our liberty. Simultaneously we celebrate Memorial Day weekend as the official start of the summer BBQ season.

In addition to serving awesome grilled foods, fantastic side dishes, and refreshing drinks, we proudly display the American flag and observe a minute of silence at 3:00 PM to honor and remember those who have died in service to our nation. We dedicate the celebration to our fallen heroes. Thank you for your service….

BLT Pasta Salad Recipe

Six Ingredients

• rotini pasta, cooked and cooled to room temperature
• bacon, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces
• red leaf lettuce, torn
• cherry tomatoes, halved
• fresh corn on the cob
• ranch dressing

Super Easy Method

Toss everything in a large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with extra ranch dressing on the side for those who like it extra creamy.

About Corn

Cook corn on the cob in salted boiling water for 3 minutes to remove corn’s starchiness. Transfer to an ice bath to set color and stop the cooking. (Excellent tip from Ina Garten). When cooled, slice the kernels off the cob with a sharp chef’s knife into a large bowl.

Sometimes corn is so super fresh that it doesn’t need the 3 minute boil, but mostly I find it tastes better briefly cooked. In the image below, cooked cobs are in the middle, raw cobs on the ends.

About Ranch Dressing

You can make your own ranch dressing but a high-quality store bought one works just fine here…and leaves more time for hanging out in the pool!

Memorial Day

“The solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.”
Abraham Lincoln

“A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces, but also by the men it honors, the men it remembers.”
John F. Kennedy

“Memorial Day is a day of ceremonies and speeches. Throughout America today, we honor the dead of our wars. We recall their valor and their sacrifices. We remember they gave their lives so that others might live.”
Ronald Reagan

At sunrise on Memorial Day, the flag of the United States is raised briskly to the top of the staff and then solemnly lowered to the half-staff position, where it remains only until noon. The half-staff position pays tribute to the men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. Then at noon the flag is raised back to the top of the staff, symbolizing a nation that lives on…

Honoring Those Who Have Laid Down Their Lives

To Defend Our Freedom & Ensure Our Liberty

From Sea to Shining Sea

More Patriotic Fare

Grilled Chicken (with Savory BLUEberry compote, REDstrawberry salad)

Grilled Lamb Leg Steaks (one of my most popular recipes)

Zucchini Quinoa Beef Burgers (with feta oregano aioli)