Hey sweetie, welcome to kiekie’s place! Today I am bringing you a recipe that is fresh, vibrant, absolutely packed with flavour, and honestly one of the most crowd-pleasing dishes you can possibly bring to any gathering, picnic, barbecue, or family dinner. This is the kind of recipe that people ask you about before they have even finished their first serving, and the kind of dish that disappears from the table faster than anything else you put out.

Roasted Corn and Tomato Pasta Salad is everything a great pasta salad should be and so much more. We are talking about sweet, slightly charred roasted corn kernels that have been coaxed into something deeply caramelised and smoky in a hot oven, blistered cherry tomatoes that burst with concentrated sweetness and a beautiful jammy quality, tender pasta that soaks up the most gorgeous herby, tangy dressing, and a collection of fresh ingredients that bring colour, crunch, and freshness to every single bite.

What sets this pasta salad completely apart from the ordinary kind is the roasting. When corn and tomatoes go into a very hot oven, something magical happens. The sugars in the corn caramelise and the kernels develop a slightly smoky, deeply sweet flavour that is completely different from raw or simply boiled corn. The tomatoes blister and burst, concentrating their flavour and releasing their juices into a slightly jammy, intensely flavourful component that becomes almost like a sauce within the salad itself. This roasting step is what transforms a good pasta salad into something genuinely extraordinary.

This recipe works beautifully as a side dish for a barbecue or cookout, as a light lunch on a warm day, as a make-ahead dish for meal prepping, or as a potluck contribution that is guaranteed to impress. It is vegetarian, very easy to make, and keeps beautifully in the fridge for several days. By the end of this article you will have everything you need to make it perfectly. Let us get into it.

What Makes This Pasta Salad So Special?

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Pasta salad is one of those dishes that gets a bad reputation because so many versions of it are mediocre — overcooked pasta drowning in bottled dressing with a few uninspiring ingredients tossed through. This recipe is nothing like that and it is worth understanding exactly why so you can appreciate what makes each step important.

The first thing that makes this salad exceptional is the roasting. As I mentioned above, roasting the corn and tomatoes transforms them completely. Raw corn in a salad is fine but roasted corn is extraordinary — the heat caramelises the natural sugars, creates slightly charred bits that add smokiness, and concentrates the corn flavour into something deeply sweet and complex. The tomatoes go through an equally dramatic transformation, losing their raw sharpness and becoming intensely sweet, slightly jammy, and deeply concentrated in flavour. They also release their juices as they roast, which you will scrape into the salad along with all the caramelised bits from the roasting pan — this is essentially a free, built-in flavour bonus.

The second thing is the dressing. A good pasta salad dressing needs to be bold, tangy, and generously seasoned because pasta absorbs dressing and mutes flavour as it sits. The dressing in this recipe is bright with lemon juice, bold with garlic, fragrant with fresh herbs, and perfectly balanced between acidity, olive oil richness, and seasoning. It is the kind of dressing that makes you want to drink it from the bowl.

The third thing is the additional ingredients — fresh basil, creamy avocado, salty feta, peppery arugula, toasted pine nuts — each one adding a distinct flavour and texture that makes every forkful different and interesting.

Choosing Your Pasta

The pasta shape you choose for a pasta salad matters more than most people realise. You want a shape that holds dressing well, is easy to eat with a fork, and provides a satisfying bite.

Fusilli — the spiral-shaped pasta — is one of the best choices for pasta salad because the spirals trap dressing and small ingredients in every twist, giving you flavour in every bite. It also has a pleasingly firm texture when cooked al dente.

Rotini is very similar to fusilli and equally good. The tight spirals are excellent at holding dressing.

Penne or penne rigate — the ridged version — works very well because the ridges grip the dressing and the hollow centre fills with sauce. It is also very easy to spear with a fork.

Farfalle — the bow-tie shaped pasta — is a beautiful option for a salad like this because it looks elegant and has a slightly thicker, more satisfying bite.

Orecchiette — the small ear-shaped pasta — is wonderful because the cups formed by each piece hold little pools of dressing.

Avoid long pasta shapes like spaghetti or linguine in pasta salad — they are difficult to eat at room temperature and do not hold dressing as effectively. Whatever shape you choose, cook it al dente — firm but cooked through. Pasta that is overcooked becomes mushy in a salad and will not absorb the dressing as well.

Ingredients You Will Need

For the roasted corn and tomatoes:

1. 4 ears of fresh corn (kernels cut from the cob) or 3 cups of frozen corn kernels (thawed and thoroughly dried)
2. 400 grams of cherry tomatoes (halved — use a mix of red, yellow, and orange for the most beautiful salad)
3. 3 tablespoons of olive oil
4. 4 cloves of garlic (left whole and unpeeled for roasting)
5. 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
6. Half a teaspoon of dried oregano
7. Salt and black pepper to taste
8. A pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
9. 1 teaspoon of sugar (optional — helps the tomatoes caramelise more beautifully)

For the pasta:

1. 400 grams of fusilli, rotini, penne, or farfalle
2. Generous salt for the pasta cooking water
3. 1 tablespoon of olive oil (tossed through the cooked pasta to prevent sticking while it cools)

For the dressing:

1. 5 tablespoons of good quality extra virgin olive oil
2. Juice of 2 large lemons (about 5 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice)
3. 1 teaspoon of lemon zest
4. 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
5. 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
6. 1 teaspoon of honey
7. 2 cloves of garlic (very finely minced or grated)
8. 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
9. Half a teaspoon of dried basil
10. Salt and black pepper to taste
11. A pinch of red pepper flakes

For the salad:

1. 1 large ripe avocado (diced — added right before serving)
2. 150 grams of feta cheese (crumbled into generous chunks)
3. Half a small red onion (very thinly sliced)
4. 1 medium cucumber (diced into small cubes)
5. A large handful of fresh baby arugula or baby spinach
6. A large handful of fresh basil leaves (torn)
7. 2 tablespoons of fresh chives (thinly sliced)
8. Quarter of a cup of toasted pine nuts or toasted pumpkin seeds
9. Half a cup of Kalamata olives (pitted and halved — optional but wonderful)
10. Quarter of a cup of sun-dried tomatoes in oil (roughly chopped — optional, adds extra depth)

Step-by-Step Cooking Method

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Step 1 — Roast the Corn and Tomatoes

Preheat your oven to 220 degrees Celsius. This high temperature is essential — you want the vegetables to roast and caramelise quickly rather than steam slowly, and you need the heat to be intense enough to blister the tomatoes and char the corn slightly.

Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. It is important to use two separate baking sheets rather than crowding everything onto one. Crowding the pan causes the vegetables to steam in their own moisture rather than roasting and caramelising in the dry heat of the oven. Steamed corn and tomatoes are fine but they do not develop the concentrated, slightly charred, deeply sweet flavour that makes the roasted version so extraordinary.

Place the corn kernels on one baking sheet and the halved cherry tomatoes cut-side up on the other. Scatter the unpeeled garlic cloves across the tomato pan — they will roast alongside the tomatoes and become incredibly sweet and mellow. Drizzle olive oil generously over both pans. Season the corn with smoked paprika, dried oregano, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Season the tomatoes with salt, black pepper, and a tiny sprinkle of sugar if using.

Toss each pan separately so the vegetables are evenly coated in oil and seasoning. Spread them out in a single, even layer with as much space between individual pieces as possible.

Place both pans in the oven. Roast the corn for about 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the kernels are golden and have some slightly charred spots. Roast the tomatoes for about 20 to 25 minutes without stirring — you want them to sit still and caramelise on the cut sides while the skins blister and wrinkle on top. By the end of roasting the tomatoes should look shrunken, slightly charred at the edges, and there should be jammy, concentrated tomato juices pooled around them on the pan.

Remove both pans from the oven and let everything cool completely. When the garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the soft, sweet roasted garlic out of its skin and set it aside — you will use it in the dressing.

Do not discard the juices and caramelised bits from the tomato pan. Use a spatula to scrape everything from the tomato pan — every last jammy, caramelised bit — into the bowl where you will mix the salad. These juices are essentially a free, intensely flavourful sauce and they add an incredible depth to the whole salad.

Step 2 — Cook the Pasta

While the vegetables roast, bring a very large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add a very generous amount of salt — the water should taste noticeably salty. This seasons the pasta from the inside and is one of the most important factors in a well-seasoned pasta salad.

Add the pasta and cook according to the packet instructions until al dente — cooked through but with just a slight firmness in the very centre. For a pasta salad, cooking the pasta one minute less than the packet suggests is a good idea because the pasta will soften slightly more as it cools and again when it absorbs the dressing.

Before draining, reserve about half a cup of the pasta cooking water. This starchy water can be added to the dressing to help it emulsify and cling to the pasta more effectively.

Drain the pasta and immediately rinse it under cold running water to stop the cooking process and cool it down quickly. Toss the drained, rinsed pasta with the tablespoon of olive oil to prevent the pieces from sticking together as they cool. Spread the pasta out on a large baking sheet or tray if you want it to cool down faster. Let it cool completely before adding it to the salad.

Step 3 — Make the Dressing

While the pasta and vegetables cool, make the dressing. Take the roasted garlic you squeezed out of its skin and mash it into a paste using the back of a fork on your cutting board. Add this roasted garlic paste to a jar or bowl along with the extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, raw minced or grated garlic, dried oregano, dried basil, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.

The combination of both roasted garlic and a small amount of raw garlic is intentional and gives the dressing a wonderful complexity — the roasted garlic is mellow, sweet, and deep while the raw garlic adds a sharper, more immediate freshness and punch.

Whisk everything together vigorously or seal the jar and shake hard until the dressing is emulsified — smooth and unified rather than separated. Taste the dressing very carefully. It should be bright and tangy from the lemon and vinegar, rich and fruity from the olive oil, pungent and aromatic from the garlic, with a subtle sweetness from the honey that rounds everything out. It should taste bold and slightly more acidic than you think it needs to be — the pasta will absorb a lot of the dressing and mute the flavours, so dressing that seems slightly sharp on its own will be perfectly balanced once tossed with the pasta and vegetables.

Adjust the seasoning. Add more lemon juice if it needs more brightness. Add more honey if it needs more sweetness. Add more salt if it tastes flat. Add more olive oil if it seems too sharp. Set the dressing aside.

Step 4 — Prepare the Remaining Ingredients

While everything cools, prepare the remaining salad ingredients. Thinly slice the red onion — if it seems very sharp and pungent, soak the slices in a small bowl of cold water for 10 minutes. This removes most of the harsh, raw bite while keeping the beautiful purple colour and a pleasant mild onion flavour. Drain and pat dry before using.

Dice the cucumber into small, uniform cubes. Pit and halve the Kalamata olives if they are not already prepared. Roughly chop the sun-dried tomatoes if using. Crumble the feta into generous chunks — not a fine dust but proper pieces that you can see and taste in the salad. Slice the chives. Tear the fresh basil leaves.

Toast the pine nuts or pumpkin seeds in a dry pan over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until golden and fragrant. Watch them very closely as they can go from golden to burnt in seconds. Tip onto a plate immediately to stop the cooking. Toasted nuts add a wonderful crunch and warmth to the salad that raw ones simply cannot provide.

Keep the avocado whole and uncut until the very last moment before serving.

Step 5 — Combine the Salad

In the largest bowl you have — you need plenty of space to toss everything together — combine the cooled pasta, the roasted corn kernels, the roasted cherry tomatoes with all their jammy juices and caramelised bits scraped from the pan, the drained red onion, the diced cucumber, the Kalamata olives if using, and the sun-dried tomatoes if using.

Pour about two thirds of the dressing over everything and toss very thoroughly — use two large spoons or your clean hands to toss and fold everything together until every piece of pasta and every vegetable is evenly coated in the dressing. Taste a piece of pasta. If it seems under-seasoned, add more dressing or adjust the salt. If the dressing seems too thick or the salad seems dry, add a small splash of the reserved pasta cooking water and toss again.

Add the arugula or baby spinach and the torn fresh basil leaves and toss them through gently. These go in now rather than at the very beginning because they are delicate and the residual acidity of the dressing will wilt and break them down if they sit for too long.

Scatter the crumbled feta generously over the top — fold it through very gently so the chunks stay intact rather than breaking into tiny pieces. Scatter the toasted pine nuts or pumpkin seeds over the top.

Taste one final time and adjust any seasoning. Add the remaining dressing if the salad looks like it needs it or reserve it for people to add at the table.

Step 6 — Add the Avocado and Serve

Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit, scoop the flesh out with a large spoon, and dice it into generous chunks. Drizzle a little lemon juice over the avocado immediately to slow browning. Add the avocado to the top of the salad and fold through very gently — avocado is delicate and you want visible, intact pieces rather than a smeared mush throughout the salad.

Transfer the salad to a large, wide serving bowl or platter where all the beautiful colours and ingredients are visible. Scatter extra fresh basil, extra chives, and any remaining toasted nuts over the top. A final drizzle of your best extra virgin olive oil over the top adds a gorgeous glossy finish.

Serve immediately or refrigerate and serve chilled. If making ahead, add the avocado right before serving only.

Helpful Cooking Tips for the Best Results

Roast at high heat. The oven temperature of 220 degrees Celsius is intentionally high. High heat is what creates the caramelisation and slight char on the corn and the blistering and jamming of the tomatoes. A lower temperature will just dry them out without developing those incredible concentrated flavours.

Use fresh corn when it is in season. Fresh corn cut directly from the cob has a sweetness and moisture content that frozen corn simply cannot match. When fresh corn is available — particularly in summer — use it without question. Cut the kernels from the cob by standing the ear upright on a cutting board and slicing downward with a sharp knife. If using frozen corn, thaw it completely and pat it very dry with paper towels before roasting — excess moisture prevents caramelisation.

Cool everything completely before assembling. This is non-negotiable for a good pasta salad. Warm pasta and warm vegetables tossed with dressing will wilt the fresh herbs, melt the feta, and turn the avocado to mush. Everything — the pasta, the corn, the tomatoes — must be completely cool and close to room temperature before assembly.

Make the dressing bold and slightly over-seasoned. Pasta absorbs dressing and mutes flavours as the salad sits. A dressing that tastes perfectly balanced when you make it will taste under-seasoned in an hour. Make it bolder and more acidic than seems necessary when you make it — it will be perfectly balanced by the time it reaches the table.

Dress the salad in stages. Use two thirds of the dressing when first assembling and reserve the remaining third. After the salad has sat for a while — whether during transport to a picnic or after a few hours in the fridge — the pasta will have absorbed most of the initial dressing. Toss with the remaining dressing right before serving to refresh everything and bring the flavours back to life.

Add delicate ingredients last. Fresh herbs, arugula, avocado, and feta are all delicate and should be added towards the end of assembly or right before serving. These ingredients are what make the salad look and taste fresh and vibrant — adding them too early means they wilt, brown, or break down before anyone gets to enjoy them.

Scrape every bit from the roasting pan. The caramelised juices and bits left on the tomato roasting pan are packed with concentrated flavour. Use a spatula to scrape every last bit into the salad bowl — do not rinse the pan without doing this first. These juices essentially act as a built-in, deeply flavoured sauce that adds incredible depth to the whole dish.

Season the pasta water generously. This is a rule that applies to every pasta dish but is especially important in a pasta salad where the pasta is not being masked by a heavy sauce. Well-seasoned pasta that has been cooked in properly salted water has flavour all the way through its core. Pasta cooked in bland water tastes flat no matter how flavourful the dressing is.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

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Overcooking the pasta. Overcooked pasta is soft and mushy and will not hold up in a salad — it absorbs too much dressing, becomes waterlogged, and falls apart. Always cook pasta for a pasta salad on the shorter end of the packet instructions — just al dente — and rinse with cold water immediately after draining to stop the cooking.

Not rinsing the pasta. Unlike pasta that is going to be served hot in a sauce, pasta for a salad should be rinsed with cold water immediately after draining. This stops the cooking, cools it quickly, and removes the excess surface starch that would otherwise make the pasta clump together in an unpleasant sticky mass as it cools.

Crowding the roasting pans. Vegetables that are crowded on the roasting pan steam in their own moisture rather than roasting and caramelising. Always use two separate pans for the corn and tomatoes and spread everything out in a single layer with space between individual pieces.

Adding avocado too early. Avocado browns within minutes of being cut and exposed to air. Even with lemon juice applied, it will brown and become unappetising if added too early. Always add the avocado right before serving.

Under-dressing the salad. A pasta salad needs more dressing than you think because the pasta absorbs a significant amount as it sits. If the salad looks dry and the pasta looks pale rather than glossy, add more dressing. A well-dressed pasta salad should look shiny and every piece of pasta should be visibly coated.

Not tasting and adjusting at every stage. Taste the dressing before you make it final. Taste the pasta after you dress it. Taste the whole salad before serving. Seasoning adjustments at each stage lead to a dramatically more balanced and flavourful finished dish than seasoning everything at the end.

What to Serve With Roasted Corn and Tomato Pasta Salad

This pasta salad is substantial enough to be a complete light meal on its own but it also works beautifully alongside many other dishes.

Grilled chicken or grilled fish is the most natural protein accompaniment to this salad. The fresh, tangy pasta salad is a wonderful contrast to the smoky, char-grilled flavour of meat or fish from the barbecue.

Grilled or pan-seared sausages — particularly Italian sausages — pair wonderfully with this Mediterranean-inspired pasta salad. The rich, savoury sausage and the bright, herby salad are a perfect match.

Burgers of any kind — beef, turkey, chicken, or veggie — are a classic cookout pairing with pasta salad and this version is an upgrade on the typical creamy side salad that usually accompanies them.

Roasted or grilled vegetables alongside the salad make the meal feel very abundant and colourful. Zucchini, eggplant, asparagus, and bell peppers all work beautifully.

Crusty bread or focaccia for tearing and using to scoop up the salad and its dressing is a wonderful accompaniment — particularly good with the Mediterranean flavour profile of this dish.

A simple soup — particularly a chilled gazpacho or a light vegetable broth — alongside this pasta salad makes a very complete and satisfying light lunch.

At a barbecue or cookout: This pasta salad is the perfect thing to bring to any outdoor gathering. It travels well, keeps in a cooler, serves a crowd, can be made ahead, and is universally loved. It pairs with virtually every barbecue food imaginable.

How to Store Leftovers

In the fridge: Transfer the pasta salad to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The salad will taste different after a day in the fridge — the pasta will have absorbed most of the dressing and the flavours will have deepened and melded together, which is actually very pleasant. Before serving leftovers, toss with a splash of extra olive oil, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and a pinch of salt to refresh everything. Add fresh herbs if available. Keep the avocado separate and add fresh for each serving.

Make-ahead strategy: This is one of the best recipes for making ahead. You can roast the corn and tomatoes up to 2 days ahead and store them in the fridge. The dressing keeps in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to a week. The pasta can be cooked a day ahead, tossed with a little olive oil, and stored in the fridge. Assemble everything on the day you plan to serve it and add the avocado, fresh herbs, and feta right before serving. This staged preparation approach makes the final assembly incredibly quick and easy.

Freezing: This pasta salad does not freeze well. The pasta becomes mushy after freezing and thawing, and the fresh vegetables and herbs lose all their texture and colour. Make it fresh and enjoy it within 4 days.

Variations You Can Try

Add grilled chicken: Slice grilled, seasoned chicken breast or thigh and toss it through the pasta salad for a more substantial, protein-rich version that works as a complete meal.

Add shrimp: Toss large cooked shrimp — either grilled or pan-seared in garlic and olive oil — through the salad right before serving. The shrimp add a wonderful sweetness and substance that pairs beautifully with the roasted corn and tomatoes.

Make it vegan: Leave out the feta cheese or replace it with a good quality vegan feta alternative. Everything else in the recipe is already naturally vegan. You can also add a can of drained chickpeas for extra protein.

Add roasted red peppers: Slice jarred roasted red peppers and add them to the salad along with the other vegetables. They add a sweet, slightly smoky element that pairs beautifully with the corn and tomatoes.

Make it spicier: Add a tablespoon of harissa paste to the dressing, double the red pepper flakes, and add thinly sliced fresh chilli to the salad. The heat contrasts wonderfully with the sweetness of the roasted corn and tomatoes.

Use different herbs: Swap the basil for fresh mint, fresh dill, fresh tarragon, or a combination. Each herb gives the salad a completely different character. Fresh mint with the corn and tomatoes is particularly wonderful and very Mediterranean.

Add bacon or pancetta: Cook bacon or pancetta until crispy, crumble it, and scatter it over the salad right before serving. The smoky, salty crunch adds a wonderful dimension that makes the salad feel more indulgent and satisfying.

Pesto version: Replace half the dressing with a good quality pesto — either homemade or store-bought. The pesto adds a deep, basil-forward richness that pairs incredibly well with the roasted tomatoes and corn.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use canned corn instead of fresh or frozen?
You can use canned corn but the results will be noticeably different. Canned corn is already cooked and very soft, which means it does not caramelise and char in the oven the same way fresh or frozen corn does — it tends to just dry out rather than developing that beautiful golden, slightly smoky flavour. If you must use canned corn, drain it very thoroughly and pat it as dry as possible before roasting. Use the highest oven temperature available and roast in a very thin, spread-out layer. The result will be decent but fresh or frozen corn is strongly preferred.

Can I make this pasta salad the night before?
Yes, you can prepare most of it the night before with a few important exceptions. Cook the pasta, roast the vegetables, and make the dressing the night before and store them separately in the fridge. The next day, combine and dress the salad about 30 minutes to an hour before serving to give the pasta time to absorb the dressing and the flavours time to come together. Add the avocado, fresh herbs, feta, and toasted nuts right before serving so they stay fresh and vibrant. If you combine and dress everything the night before, the pasta will absorb all the dressing and the salad will be dry and the herbs will be wilted by serving time.

How do I cut corn kernels from the cob safely?
The safest and most effective method is to stand the corn cob upright on its flat end on a sturdy cutting board. Hold it firmly at the top with one hand and use a sharp chef’s knife to slice straight downward from top to bottom, cutting close to the cob to get as many kernels as possible. Rotate the cob and repeat until all the kernels are removed. To catch any kernels that fly off the cob, place the cob in the centre of a large, wide bowl and cut the kernels into the bowl — the bowl catches everything and prevents kernels from bouncing all over your kitchen.

My roasted tomatoes released a lot of liquid in the oven. Is this normal?
Yes, completely normal and actually wonderful. As the tomatoes roast and blister, they release their internal juices which pool around them on the roasting pan. As the roasting continues, these juices reduce and concentrate into a slightly thick, intensely flavoured liquid that is essentially a free, built-in sauce. Make sure you scrape every single drop of this liquid from the roasting pan into your salad — it is one of the most flavourful components of the whole dish and adds incredible depth. If the liquid looks very thin when you first take the tomatoes out, let them cool on the pan and it will thicken slightly as it cools.

Can I use a different type of cheese instead of feta?
Absolutely. Feta is wonderful in this salad for its salty, tangy, crumbly character but there are several excellent alternatives. Goat cheese adds a creamier, slightly earthier flavour that works beautifully. Halloumi cut into small cubes and pan-fried until golden adds a wonderful salty, chewy element. Burrata — torn into pieces and added right before serving — makes the salad feel very luxurious and special. Parmesan shaved into thin slices is a more subtle option. For a dairy-free version, leave the cheese out entirely or use a good quality vegan feta.

Final Thoughts

Roasted Corn and Tomato Pasta Salad is one of those recipes that you will make once and immediately add to your permanent repertoire. It is the kind of dish that works in every context — a casual weeknight dinner, a packed work lunch, a contribution to a friend’s barbecue, a centrepiece at a summer gathering, a meal prep staple for the week. It is versatile, crowd-pleasing, deeply satisfying, and genuinely beautiful to look at with all those vibrant colours and textures.

What makes this recipe truly special is the commitment to doing simple things really well. Roasting the corn and tomatoes instead of using them raw. Making a proper dressing from scratch instead of reaching for a bottle. Cooking the pasta correctly — properly salted, al dente, rinsed and cooled. Toasting the nuts. Adding the avocado and fresh herbs at the last possible moment so they are as vibrant as possible when they reach the table. None of these steps is complicated but each one makes a meaningful difference to the finished dish.

The combination of sweet, smoky roasted corn, concentrated jammy tomatoes, bright tangy dressing, creamy avocado, salty feta, and fresh fragrant basil is one that is genuinely hard to improve upon. It hits every flavour note — sweet, salty, tangy, rich, fresh — and every textural note — tender pasta, juicy tomatoes, creamy avocado, crunchy nuts — in every single forkful. This is the pasta salad that changes people’s minds about pasta salad. Make it this week, share it with the people you love, and enjoy every vibrant, delicious bite. Happy cooking!