Weeknight supper delight: August 2012

To me, August suppers should be all about utilizing seasonal and fresh ingredients for a light and easy meal.  This produce filled pasta salad is my spin on Cooking Light's "tomato stack salad with corn and avocado."  I wanted to highlight the corn and tomatoes, but add pasta to make it a full meal.  I doubled the recipe for the buttermilk dressing and used it as the pasta sauce, and chopped the tomatoes to toss with the pasta. 

Here is the recipe, only slightly altered from Cooking Light's website: 

Make's about 4 very large pasta portions

Ingredients

•  4 bacon slices, chopped
• 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk 
•  2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
•  2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil 
•  4 tablespoons canola mayonnaise 
•  4 teaspoons cider vinegar
•  2garlic clove, minced
•  1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 2 ears shucked corn, kernels cut from cob
• Cooking spray  
• 1 large beefsteak tomato, chopped
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 ripe peeled avocado, thinly sliced 
• 8oz cooked pasta of your choice

Preparation

1. Combine buttermilk and next 5 ingredients (through garlic), stirring with a whisk. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add bacon to pan; cook 8 minutes or until crisp, tossing occasionally. Drain bacon on paper towels.  
3. Wipe skillet with a paper towel to clean out the bacon grease.  Add corn and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Combine pasta, bacon, tomato, and corn,  and toss with about 3/4 of the dressing.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Add more dressing if desired.
5. Top with  avocado slices

  I hope you are taking advantage of ALL the wonderful produce August has to offer.  Here in Seattle, we have a teeny tiny window of time to enjoy summer produce, so I try to cherish every bite.  I love the idea of creating a dish around produce, and making it the star of the meal. 

Enjoy your August weeknight supper delight!