This Parmesan Pasta Salad is tossed with blanched asparagus, corn and sun-dried tomatoes and tossed in a creamy Parmesan Dressing. Adding Parmesan cheese to the mayonnaise and sour cream sauce adds another level of flavor! This will be a summer salad recipe you will make for years to come.
So fresh and delicious, this parmesan pasta salad is perfect for any gathering, no matter what time of year it may be. And, you will be guaranteed that you will be asked for this recipe over and over again!
We love summer salad recipes!
Most people love a delicious summer salad recipe. Grumpy is no exception! He loves the tuna fish and green pea version of macaroni salad the most. He also loves Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad recipe.
Parmesan Pasta Salad is different than most pasta salad recipes. It has the tang of sun-dried tomatoes with a fresh bite of freshly blanched asparagus. This Pasta Salad with Creamy Parmesan Dressing was a huge hit with Grumpy!
What you need to know for making a perfect Pasta Salad!
- Always rinse your hot cooked pasta with cold water when you plan to eat it in a cold salad! Rinsing in cold water will stop the pasta from cooking. Similar to shocking your vegetables in cold water, your pasta will keep its toothsome texture when you do this.
- Pasta is going to soak up moisture. Because of this, if you have leftovers you need to refrigerate, your salad can seem dry the next day. The easy solution to this is to add a little more mayonnaise until it is creamy enough for you.
- Mayonnaise on its own can have a "heavy" taste and feel to it. I freshen this dish up more by using half mayonnaise and half sour cream in the dressing mixture.
- I like the results of this recipe with dried Parmesan Cheese. Your dressing will be "looser" if you go with fresh cheese over dried.
How to make Parmesan Pasta Salad
Cook your pasta: I recommend rotini pasta as I love the way the dressing catches up in the spirals. Cook your pasta according to the package your product came in.
Remove the cooked pasta from your hot water by using a slotted spoon and place in a strainer. Immediately rinse the pasta with cold water to stop the pasta from cooking. Do not drain the water from the pasta. You will use this water to blanch your vegetables.
Add asparagus to boiling water and cook for 3 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and place in a bowl of ice cold water to shock it and stop it from cooking. Once cold, remove from water and drain.
Add corn to boiling water and cook for 4 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and place in a bowl of ice cold water to shock it and stop it from cooking. Once cooled, remove from water and cut kernels of corn from the corn cob. See tips below for how to cut the kernels from the cob.
Place your salad ingredients in a mixing bowl. Make the parmesan dressing and add it to your salad ingredients. Once the dressing has coated your salad, refrigerate until ready to eat.
How to strip the corn from the cob
- Place the corn, stem side down on a sturdy cutting board.
- Holding the top end of the corn, using a sharp knife, start at the top and cut downward using a sawing motion.
- Continue to cut down the ear of corn until all kernels have been removed from the cob.
More Pasta Salad Recipes you may love!
Pasta Salad with Creamy Parmesan Dressing
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- ½ lb dried fusilli pasta
- ½ cup sun-dried tomato cut into thin strips
- 2 ears fresh corn on the cob blanched, cold shocked and stripped from cob
- 1 lb asparagus blanched, cold shocked, and cut into bite sized pieces
For the Dressing
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 large garlic clove finely grated
- ¾ cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and rinse under cold water. Prep your veggies and mix into pasta. Set aside to combine dressing. Combine dressing ingredients and fold into pasta mixture. Chill, serve, & enjoy!
Steph
I love all things pasta salad! Thanks for the tip of using half sour cream...great idea!