Sunshine Corn & Cherry Tomato Pasta Salad

When the summer heat makes turning on the stove feel like a personal offense, this no-cook pasta salad comes to the rescue with bold, punchy flavors and zero oven time required. Fresh sweet corn shaved straight off the cob, juicy cherry tomatoes, and a zippy lemon-herb dressing make every forkful taste like a backyard party. It comes together in minutes and actually gets better as it sits, making it the ultimate make-ahead dish for picnics, potlucks, or lazy Tuesday dinners.

✨ An original recipe written by AI — not kitchen-tested, so trust your taste on seasoning & timing.

Ingredients

• 12 oz rotini pasta, cooked according to package directions, drained and cooled
• 2 ears fresh sweet corn, kernels cut off the cob
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 English cucumber, quartered and sliced
• 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, then drain and rinse under cold water until completely cool; shake off excess water and set aside.
2. While the pasta cools, shave the corn kernels off both ears by standing each ear upright in a large bowl and running a sharp knife downward along the cob.
3. Add the halved cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber, and torn basil leaves to the bowl with the corn.
4. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, honey, red pepper flakes, and salt until well combined.
5. Add the cooled pasta to the vegetable bowl and pour the dressing over everything.
6. Toss the salad thoroughly until every piece is coated in the dressing, then taste and adjust salt or lemon juice as needed.
7. Scatter the crumbled feta over the top, give it one gentle final toss, and serve immediately or refrigerate for up to one day.

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