Take your pasta salad to the next level by making our BLT Pasta Salad Recipe. Crunchy bacon, fresh veggies like juicy tomatoes, and crispy lettuce will have your summer guests raving!
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Bacon, lettuce, and tomato are just a few of the delicious ingredients that make up this tasty BLT Pasta Salad Recipe.
BLT Pasta Salad tastes just like a classic BLT sandwich with a few delightful changes. It's coated with delicious and creamy ranch dressing that gives these flavors a unique taste and makes for a deliciously fresh pasta salad.
I have been making a lot of salads lately. I just love putting together a bright fresh salad as a side or main meal, especially when it's hot out! In case you missed them, be sure to check out:
This BLT pasta salad is terrific as a side dish for a barbecue or potluck, but it’s also great to have as a main dish too! An original pasta salad usually has a lot of mayo, but this recipe reduces the mayo by using ranch dressing!
🧂 Ingredients
For the salad:
- pasta
- romaine lettuce
- cooked bacon
- cherry tomatoes
- red onion
For the dressing:
- Ranch Seasoning Mix
- mayonnaise
- sour cream
- milk
- lemon juice
- garlic powder
- salt and black pepper
🔪Instructions
This is meant to be a brief overview of the BLT pasta salad recipe. For step-by-step instructions and a full printable recipe card with ingredients, please scroll down to the teal box below or Jump to Recipe.
- Cook pasta per package directions, drain, and cool completely.
- Transfer the cooled pasta to a large mixing bowl and toss with lettuce, tomato, bacon, and onion.
BLT Salad Dressing
- In a bowl whisk together ranch seasoning mix, mayonnaise, sour cream, milk, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
- Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat.
- Serve and enjoy!
Equipment
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In addition to dry measuring cups, a liquid measuring cup, and measuring spoons, you will need mixing bowls and a whisk.
For chopping the vegetables, I recommend this Santoku Knife and Cutting Board which I use literally every day!
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💭 Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some questions (and answers!) readers often ask about this our easy BLT pasta salad recipe.
I think that the wagon wheel pasta shape is so fun, but you can use pretty much anything you have in your pantry that is bite-sized. Keep in mind that the dressing will stick a little better to pasta with texture and wholes like shells, penne, or radiatori.
Definitely rinse your pasta when you are making a cold pasta salad to stop the cooking process. If you are making your pasta the day before, toss the pasta with 1 teaspoon of olive oil (to prevent it from sticking together) after you rinse and drain it. Then refrigerate the pasta in an airtight container.
A classic BLT sandwich is made with iceberg lettuce, but for this salad, I prefer to use romaine. Iceberg lettuce has less nutritional value than romaine, which has twice as much Vitamin A and four times as much Vitamin K. Now, that being said, it's really up to you. After all, a salad with pasta and bacon is perhaps not the healthiest choice in and of itself. 🙂
Tips
- To cool hot pasta to room temperature quickly, spread it out on a paper towel lined baking sheet.
⏲️ Storage
The salad dressing will make the lettuce soggy the next day so I recommend only dressing what you plan to eat immediately. Transfer the leftover undressed salad to an airtight container. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
📖 Variations
- Instead of the traditional ranch dressing, try this Avocado Ranch Dressing on the salad. Of course, you don't have to make homemade ranch dressing, you can grab a bottle at the grocery store - no judgment here!
- Add ¼ cup of grated parmesan cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, or crumbled feta for a little extra salty tang.
- Use other produce you have on hand like cucumbers or carrots.
- Add your favorite fresh herbs like dill, parsley, or green onions.
- For a healthier salad, use turkey bacon.
- Any type of small pasta like rotini, ziti, bowties, or elbow macaroni will work in this recipe.
🍴 Serving Suggestions
This BLT Pasta Salad is a great summer recipe to be served as a side dish with Grilled Pork Tenderloin or Chipotle Marinated Chicken. Of course, it can also stand on its own as a meal for lunch or dinner.
They're yummy served with Italian Bread Sticks but you could also use a little ranch seasoning on the bread sticks instead to stick with the same flavor profile.
😋 Similar Recipes
If you love salads, check out these other easy recipes:
- Chicken Cobb Salad
- Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
- Buffalo Chicken Salad
- Spinach and Strawberry Salad
- Mandarin Orange Salad with Chicken
- Ham and Pasta Salad
Not ready to make your own BLT Pasta Salad yet?
Don’t forget to pin this great recipe for later! When you do make it, please be sure to tag me on Instagram @jugglingactmama or #jugglingactmama – I’d love to see your pictures! And finally, if you get a chance, please comment and leave me a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below!
BLT Pasta Salad Recipe with Creamy Ranch Dressing
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Ingredients
Salad:
- 12 oz any pasta you like cooked, drained and cooled
- 1 romaine lettuce heart chopped
- 1 lb bacon cooked & crumbled
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 small red onion chopped small
Dressing:
- 1 tablespoon ranch seasoning mix
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
Salad
- Cook pasta per package directions, drain, and cool.12 oz any pasta you like
- Toss pasta with lettuce, tomato, bacon, and onion.1 romaine lettuce heart, 1 lb bacon, 2 cups cherry tomatoes, 1 small red onion
Dressing
- In a bowl whisk together ranch seasoning mix, mayonnaise, sour cream, milk, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt & pepper.1 tablespoon ranch seasoning mix, 1 cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup sour cream, ⅓ cup milk, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, salt and black pepper to taste
- Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat.
- Serve immediately or chill and serve. Enjoy!
Equipment
Nutrition
Meal Planning
Want to add this recipe to your meal plan? Download our free printable meal plan here.
This recipe is included in Meal Plan 22 along with:
... and more!
Be sure to check out all our meal plan ideas here.
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