Chicken Bacon Peach Pasta Salad With Hot Honey Dressing

Published on July 22, 2024 Chicken, Bacon, & Peach Pasta Salad– Pasta salad with chicken, bacon, fresh peaches, charred corn, white cheddar cheese, tomatoes, basil, and a sweet and spicy hot honey dressing. This pasta salad recipe is loaded with flavor and a summertime favorite! Whenever I want to WOW my friends and family, I make this Chicken, Bacon, & Peach Pasta Salad with Hot Honey Dressing. The flavors are bold, fresh, and the salad is so satisfying. If you like the BEST grilled chicken sandwich, you will love this salad too. The flavors are similar. This pasta salad is made with pasta, chicken, crispy bacon, sweet peaches, charred corn, juicy tomatoes, white cheddar cheese, and fresh basil. The salad is finished with a sweet and spicy hot honey dressing that compliments all of the flavors. It’s SO good. The honey isn’t overly spicy, but adds a nice kick that will keep you coming back for MORE! This is the perfect pasta salad for summertime. The colors and flavors scream summer!

Salad Ingredients

Pasta– I like to use fusilli, orecchiette, or penne pasta, but you can use your favorite pasta shape. Sweet corn– remove the husks and silks. Olive oil– for brushing the corn. Peaches– choose large peaches that are ripe and juicy! Chicken– you can use chopped grilled chicken, cooked chicken, or even rotisserie chicken. Bacon– cook 4 strips of bacon and chop it up! White cheddar cheese– cut into cubes! Grape tomatoes– halved! Red onion– for flavor and color! Basil– so fresh!

Hot Honey Dressing Ingredients

Olive oil– the base of the dressing! Hot honey– the STAR of the dressing! You can find hot honey at most grocery stores or buy it online. Red wine vinegar– for a little tang! Lemon juice– to brighten up the dressing. Dijon mustard– adding mustard helps emulsify the dressing and adds flavor. Garlic– always garlic!

How to Make the Pasta Salad

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Brush the corn with oil and grill for 2 minutes per side, or until char marks form. Remove from grill and set aside to cool to room temperature. Use a sharp knife to carefully slice down each side of the corn cobs to remove the kernels.

In a large bowl, combine pasta, corn, peaches, chicken, bacon, cheese tomatoes, red onion, and basil. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, hot honey, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, and salt.

Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and stir until the salad is well coated. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if necessary. Garnish with a drizzle of hot honey, if desired. Serve!

Variations

Use grilled chicken, chopped chicken, or rotisserie chicken. Instead of bacon you can use prosciutto. Instead of peaches, you can use nectarines. I recommend using fresh sweet corn. If you can’t find good sweet corn, you can use thawed frozen corn. White cheddar adds great flavor to the salad, but feel free to swap it for regular cheddar, gouda, mozzarella, or crumbled goat cheese or feta. Add extra herbs like parsley or chives. Add chopped avocado for extra creaminess! If you want the salad to be vegetarian, you can leave out the chicken and bacon. If you can’t find hot honey, use regular honey and add crushed red pepper flakes to the dressing to give it a kick.

Serving Suggestions

This pasta salad can be served as a main dish or side dish. If you are looking for other dishes to enjoy with the pasta salad, here are a few ideas.

Simple Arugula Salad Simple Kale Salad Watermelon Feta Salad Dinner Rolls Bruschetta

How to Store

Store leftover pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If the pasta salad dries out a little, you can drizzle with additional dressing or olive oil.