Indulge in the creamy and refreshing flavors of this BLT Pasta Salad, a delightful dish perfect for summer gatherings!
With crispy bacon, fresh veggies, and a creamy homemade ranch dressing, this salad is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
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This BLT Pasta Salad recipe captures the essence of the classic BLT sandwich in a fresh and exciting way, making it a perfect side dish for your next summer event or a hearty main course on a hot day.
Enjoy the combination of tender pasta with crunchy bacon, fresh juicy tomatoes, and creamy dressing. It’s not just a salad, it’s a summer celebration on a plate!
How to Make BLT Pasta Salad
First, gather your ingredients.
Ingredients
For best taste, always use the highest quality ingredients you have access to.
To make this BLT Pasta Salad recipe, you will need the following ingredients:
- Bowtie pasta
- Fresh lettuce – Romaine lettuce, or iceberg lettuce work best
- Cherry tomatoes
- Bacon
- Red onion
- Avocado
- Mayonnaise
- Apple cider vinegar
- Fresh parsley
- Fresh chives
- Jalapeño
- Garlic
You can also include additional items like cheddar cheese or green onions to tailor the salad to your taste.
I recommend using my air fryer bacon or air fryer turkey bacon for this recipe. Alternatively you could bake your bacon in the oven. See notes in the recipe card for instructions on how to do this.
Cooking BLT Pasta Salad
BLT Pasta Salad is a simple recipe that can be made in just a few simple steps. Here is how to make it!
Cook the pasta according to package directions, until al dente. Once cooked, strain and rinse under cold water. Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, mix together the lettuce, cherry tomatoes, bacon, and red onion. Add the cooled cooked pasta.
Now make the creamy ranch dressing. In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, parsley, chives, jalapeño, garlic, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
Add the dressing to the pasta salad.
Then toss to coat, until the dressing is evenly distributed.
You can serve this room temperature, or chill it for a while first to serve cold pasta salad. If you make ahead, hold off on the avocaod.
Right before serving, mix in the diced avocado. It is important to do this at serving time, so that the avocado does not have time to oxidize/ brown.
Alternatively, you can eliminate the avocado if you prefer, and this would still be really good.
I hope y’all enjoy this BLT pasta salad! Be sure and let me know if you try it.
Leftovers
How long is pasta salad good in the fridge? Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
Always use common sense and good judgement when it comes to leftovers, though! If something looks or smells funky, don’t eat it.
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BLT Pasta Salad
Indulge in the creamy and refreshing flavors of this BLT Pasta Salad, a delightful dish perfect for summer gatherings!
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 12 ounces farfalle pasta aka bowtie, one 12-ounce box
- 1 head romaine lettuce thinly sliced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 10 strips bacon 6 ounces raw, cooked and chopped
- 1/2 red onion diced small
- 1 avocado large ripe , diced (optional but recommended)
For the Ranch Dressing:
- 1 cup light mayonnaise (I like Hellman's light and Aldi's Burman's brands)
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh chives .75 oz box
- 1/2 jalapeno seeded and diced small
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
-
Cook the pasta according to package directions. Once cooked, strain and rinse under cold water. Set aside to cool.
-
In a large bowl, mix together the lettuce, cherry tomatoes, bacon & red onion. Add the cooled cooked pasta.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, cilantro, parsley, chives, jalapeno, garlic, onion powder, salt and pepper.
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Add dressing to the pasta salad and toss to coat.
-
Right before serving, mix in the diced avocado.
Recipe Notes
-
Nutritional information is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator. Recipe makes 6 generous servings.
- Regular bacon, beef bacon or turkey bacon will work perfectly here.
- I recommend using my air fryer bacon. If you don’t have an air fryer, you can bake the bacon: I like to place the bacon on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F for about 15 minutes. Then, let cool & transfer to a paper towel to soak up any excess oil. Break into pieces and add to the salad.
Amber says
This was delicious! I’m not a fan of pasta salad but it was requested so I picked this one and I will make it again! The ranch dressing is soo good and all the ingredients went so well together
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
Yay Amber!🙌🏻 I am very happy you enjoyed it, and thank you for taking the time to leave feedback🙏🏻