Bacon Pea Creamy Pasta Salad with Lemon Parmesan Dressing

There are many days when I'm just too tired to cook a full dinner for us after I come home for work. So what do I do? I drive to Costco and buy a rotisserie chicken, some veggies, and ingredients to make an easy side dish. Both Dr. Sweetpea and I love peas so I knew this pasta salad would go well with our dinner. It's creamy, lemony, and perfect as a side dish to go with the chicken. Definitely something I'll keep around to make in the summer for a picnic or potluck.

Bacon Pea Creamy Pasta Salad with Lemon Parmesan Dressing

(Source: Carlsbad Cravings)

Pasta Salad

12 oz.  medium shells or other small pasta of choice

2 cups frozen petite peas thawed

8 oz.  thick cut bacon cooked and chopped

Lemon Parmesan 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

1 teaspoon dried chives

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp sugar

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. If serving immediately: 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.