Looking for a pasta salad switch up? Put your go-to aside and try my Grilled Corn and Avocado Pasta Salad with Chili-Lime Dressing! This gluten-free pasta salad recipe couldn’t be easier. Cooked pasta is combined with chopped avocado, cherry tomatoes, minced red onion, chopped basil, and grilled corn then tossed with a homemade, 3 ingredient (plus salt and pepper) Chili-Lime Dressing that’s tart, smokey, and a little sweet. Translation: to die for — especially when its paired with the smokey grilled sweet corn. YUM!
Gluten Free Pasta Salad
Since this pasta salad is made with gluten-free pasta, I recommend serving it immediately or refrigerating for up to one hour before serving, and using brown rice gluten free pasta vs a corn/rice blend pasta. The latter can become hard and brittle after sitting in the refrigerator for a few hours. What I love just as much as the flavor though, is that this salad can sit out for several hours at room temperature, no problem, so it’s perfect for a summer backyard bash.
How to Make this Recipe
Start by cooking 8oz gluten-free brown rice rotini in salted, boiling water until cooked through. Drain then rinse under cold water until cool. Meanwhile, grill 2 sweet corn cobs that have been shucked over medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes, rotating occasionally, until the corn is evenly charred. The more char, the more flavor!
Slice the kernels from the cob once they’re cool enough to handle then add to a large bowl with the cooked and cooled pasta, plus 1/2 pint grape or cherry tomatoes that have been sliced in half, 1 chopped avocado, 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil, and 1/4 small red onion that’s been minced.
By the way, I usually slice my avocados in half before peeling, but have found that slicing them into quarters makes it even easier.
How to Make Chili-Lime Dressing
Last step is to shake up the crazy-easy Chili-Lime Dressing which has the perfect balance of tart, smokey, and just a teeny bit sweet. To a jar with a tight-fitting lid add 6 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes worth,) 1 Tablespoon honey, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, salt, and pepper then shake to combine. Drizzle over the pasta salad (you may not need all of it,) then add a bit more salt and pepper and toss to combine.
Serve the pasta salad immediately or refrigerate for up to an hour before serving (gluten-free pasta can get hard and mealy if refrigerated too long, though if you are using regular pasta you can refrigerate as long as you like.) Pull out at your party, picnic, or potluck, and enjoy a scoop or seven of this fresh and absolutely delicious pasta salad. Enjoy!
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