Description
Summer’s favorite pasta dish, BLT Pasta Salad, blends crispy bacon, juicy tomatoes, and fresh lettuce in a creamy dressing. Cool and satisfying, this classic combination brings Mediterranean-style comfort right to your plate.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 12 oz (340 g) rotini or bowtie pasta
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 cups chopped romaine or iceberg lettuce
Accent Ingredients:
- ½ cup diced red onion (optional)
Dressing Ingredients:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Boil pasta in salted water until perfectly al dente, then immediately transfer to a colander and rinse with cold water to halt cooking and reduce temperature.
- Create a creamy dressing by whisking mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until smooth and well-blended.
- Crisp bacon in a skillet until golden brown and deliciously crunchy, then drain on paper towels and crumble into bite-sized pieces.
- Dice cherry tomatoes into quarters, slice red onion into thin rings, and roughly chop crisp lettuce leaves.
- In a spacious mixing bowl, combine cooled pasta, crumbled bacon, tomatoes, onion, and lettuce.
- Drizzle prepared dressing over the pasta mixture and gently fold ingredients together, ensuring even coating without breaking delicate pasta.
- Refrigerate salad for minimum 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld and dressing to slightly penetrate ingredients.
- Before serving, give salad another gentle toss to redistribute dressing and ingredients, then serve chilled for maximum freshness and flavor.
Notes
- Swap mayo for Greek yogurt to make the dish lighter and add protein.
- Crumble bacon just before serving to maintain maximum crispiness and prevent sogginess.
- Use whole wheat or gluten-free pasta for dietary alternatives that suit different nutritional needs.
- Prep ingredients ahead of time and store separately to keep vegetables crisp and fresh, mixing just before serving to prevent wilting.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg