I love pasta salads and I am always trying out new recipes. This one is a winner, except I think I grated the parm too large… should have made it finer. That said, it was a delicious addition to a picnic and will be to one of yours as well.
Ingredients
12 ounces small pasta of choice
2 cups frozen petite peas thawed
8 ounces thick cut bacon cooked and chopped
for the dressing
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup freshly finely grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dried basil, dried chives
1/2 tsp EACH onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, sugar
Directions
Whisk together all of the Lemon Parmesan Dressing Ingredients together in a medium bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Dressing is much better if it has at least 30 minutes to chill.
Cook pasta according to package directions just until al dente. Rinse with cold water and drain. Drizzle with a little olive oil to keep from sticking. Add cooled pasta, peas, bacon and dressing to a large bowl and toss until evenly combined. If not serving immediately (preferable so salad can chill): Add the pasta and peas to a large bowl and toss with half of the dressing once the pasta has cooled (so the dressing doesn’t separate). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. When ready to serve, add the remaining dressing and the bacon and toss until evenly combined.
