Corn and Pasta Salad with Homemade Ranch Dressing

serves 6

4 ounces gemelli pasta

1 small garlic clove

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1/3 cup buttermilk

2 teaspoons cider vinegar

1 scallion, minced

2 small ears fresh corn

8 ounces grape tomatoes, halved

1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced lengthwise

4 cups baby arugula

2 sliced bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions; drain and run under cold water to cool.

Meanwhile, finely chop the garlic clove on a cutting board; sprinkle with salt.  Using the blade of a chef's knife, press down onto garlic, smashing it to make a paste.  Add the garlic paste to a large bowl with the sour cream, buttermilk, cider vinegar, and scallion; season with salt and pepper.  Whisk the dressing until smooth and reserve.

Cut the kernels from the corn (breaking sheets of kernels into about 2-inch pieces, if desired).  Add the corn, tomatoes, onion and arugula to the bowl with the dressing; gently toss to coat.  Sprinkle with the bacon.

Taylor's Notes:

It's always surprising to me to find an incomplete recipe.  Like the one above... what are you supposed to do with the corn?  Just put it in raw?  That doesn't seem quite right...  And when does the pasta go in?  Here's my take on it, they just want us to all be creative and explore new ideas with the ingredients they've given us.  Pretend like you're on an episode of Chopped... only if Ted Allen ever shows up in your kitchen you better call me.  Pronto.

Ok, I digress... I decided to roast the corn before adding it to the salad.  My first thought was to grill it on the cob and then I remembered it was over 100 degrees outside and the oven practically turned itself on.  Thanks to my good buddy Mark Bittman, I found quick directions to roasting corn.  Put it on a baking sheet in a 500 degree oven for 10-20 minutes, rotating every few minutes.  What that meant to me was 15 minutes, rotating every five.   I put it in the oven as the pasta was boiling and then cut it from the cob and added it to the dish once everything else was finished.  As for the pasta, just toss it in with the veggies and dressing and you'll be good to go.  

And there you have it.  A quick summer side salad perfect for any occasion, whether you're in the mood for pasta or greens.

Enjoy!