BLT Pasta Salad Recipe
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!
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! An original pasta salad usually has a lot of mayo, but this recipe reduces the mayo by using ranch dressing!
Ingredients
Bacon, lettuce, and tomato are just a few of the delicious ingredients that make up this tasty BLT Pasta Salad Recipe.
- Bacon: Skip the bacon bits! For this salad, you need the real deal. Use turkey bacon for a healthier option.
- Lettuce: A classic BLT sandwich is made with iceberg lettuce, but for this salad, I prefer to use romaine.
- Tomatoes: I like cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, sliced in half but you can use any sort of tomatoes you prefer.
- Pasta: 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.
- Onion: Any type of onion will work; I like to use red onion in this salad.
- Seasonings: Black pepper plus store-bought or Homemade Ranch Seasoning Mix.
- Mayo: This is the creamy base for the ranch dressing.
- Sour Cream: Regular or low-fat sour cream will both work. You could substitute Greek yogurt for a healthier alternative.
- Milk: Low-fat milk or whole milk both work.
- Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice is always better than the bottled stuff.
Ang’s Recipe Tips
- To cool hot pasta to room temperature quickly, spread it out on a paper towel-lined baking sheet.
- Allow both the pasta and bacon to cool completely before adding them to the salad so the lettuce doesn’t wilt.
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
- Add 1/4 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.
Serving Suggestions
This BLT Pasta Salad is a great summer side dish 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.
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
- 1/3 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, 1/3 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
Similar Recipes
If you love salads, check out these other easy recipes:
- Mexican Corn Pasta Salad
- Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
- Buffalo Chicken Salad
- Spinach and Strawberry Salad
- Mandarin Orange Salad with Chicken
- Ham and Pasta Salad
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.
