BLT Pasta Salad

This BLT pasta salad not only has juicy tomatoes, crispy bacon, and fresh romaine lettuce, but is made even better by a zesty ranch based dressing.

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Table of Contents

BLT Pasta Salad Ingredients
Substitutions And Additions
How To Make This BLT Pasta Salad Recipe
How To Serve
Storing This BLT Pasta Salad With Cheese
Frequently Asked Questions
More Recipes You’ll Love
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This BLT pasta salad is a fun spin on the classic bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich. It’s a creamy pasta salad that is delicious, and the addition of fresh avocados and creamy ranch dressing makes it unlike any pasta salad you’ve ever had before.

a close up shot of BLT Pasta Salad in a bowl

BLT Pasta Salad Ingredients

BLT Pasta Salad raw ingredients that are labeled

BLT pasta salad is the perfect combination of savory and fresh flavors that make any summer day feel like a picnic.

With each bite, you get the smoky salty flavors of bacon, the juicy sweetness of tomatoes, and the crisp bite of lettuce all in one bowl. The pasta provides a delightful and filling texture, making this dish not only tasty but satisfying as well.

You’ll need:

For The Salad:

16-ounce box of rotini pasta, cooked, drained, and rinsed with cold water
13 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped
½ large red onion, finely diced
1½ cups of cheddar cheese, cut into cubes (measured after it’s been cubed)
2 cups of romaine lettuce, cut or torn into bite-size pieces (measured after it’s in pieces)
1 avocado, cut into small pieces
1½ cups of cherry tomatoes, cut in half (measured after cut in half)
¼ cup of parsley, chopped

For The Dressing:

1 (1-ounce) packet of dry Hidden Valley ranch seasoning mix
1½ cups of mayonnaise
½ cup of sour cream

PRO TIP:

Cut all ingredient amounts in half if you are serving a smaller group, as this will make a large bowl full of salad.

Substitutions And Additions

PASTA: You can use any type of small pasta in this great recipe. Bow tie pasta, shells, rigatoni, or penne are other options that would work well.

BACON: If you want to save a step, or don’t have time, you could use store-bought bacon bits instead of cooking your own bacon and chopping it up. However, fresh-cooked crunchy bacon will have a much better flavor overall in your salad.

CHEESE: Shredded cheddar cheese can be used instead of cubed cheese if you prefer in this ranch BLT salad. You can also use a different type of cheese if you prefer. Pepper jack, Colby jack, provolone, or Swiss, either shredded or cubed, would all be great options.

GREEK YOGURT: Replace the sour cream with Greek yogurt if you prefer.

How To Make This BLT Pasta Salad Recipe

Once you make the pasta and dressing, all of the ingredients will come together to make this hearty and delicious salad. Let’s get started.

STEP ONE: In a medium bowl, combine dry ranch dressing mix, mayonnaise, and sour cream. Use a whisk to mix them together. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

ranch dressing mix, mayonnaise, and sour cream whisked together in a bowl

STEP TWO: In a large pot, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, rinse the hot pasta with cold water, and drain again. Place in a large mixing bowl.

PRO TIP:

Rinsing the cooked pasta in cold water after draining is best when doing a cold pasta salad recipe. It stops the pasta from cooking, and it keeps the pasta loose for the salad.

STEP THREE: Add the cooked and chopped bacon, red onion, cheddar cheese cubes, avocado, cherry tomatoes, parsley, and romaine lettuce. Then, pour the dressing mix over the ingredients. Use tongs to gently toss the salad until everything is well coated.

STEP FOUR: Serve immediately.

How To Serve

Any easy pasta salad recipe is a great option for a summer BBQ. This salad, filled with all of the classic BLT ingredients, is the best one yet! Serve alongside hot dogs, hamburgers, and our cucumber salad.

You might consider pairing it with crispy garlic bread or cheesy pull-apart bread to really bring out the flavors in the pasta.

How about another delicious pasta salad? For more cold pasta salad options, check out our yummy dill pickle pasta salad or our taco pasta salad.

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Storing This BLT Pasta Salad With Cheese

We think this salad is best made and enjoyed right away. Here’s how to store the leftovers.

IN THE FRIDGE: The romaine lettuce in this BLT pasta salad does not keep well. Because of this, I recommend serving it right away. If you have leftovers to store, it’s best if you don’t add lettuce to the mixture and add fresh lettuce when you serve again. Store leftovers in a tightly sealed container for up to 24 hours and eat them the next day.

IN THE FREEZER: This salad will not freeze well. The lettuce and tomatoes will become soggy, and the creamy dressing will not retain its creaminess.

This salad is a light and creamy pasta salad. It takes a favorite sandwich and turns it into a delicious summer side dish complete with avocado and homemade ranch dressing. This is absolutely the best ranch BLT pasta salad around!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use bottled ranch dressing instead of the dry packet mix?

You can substitute the dry mix for a bottle of ranch dressing in this recipe.

What type of pasta is best in pasta salad?

Any bite-size pasta works well in pasta salad. Penne, bowties, or rotini are all excellent choices.

Can I freeze pasta salad?

Pasta salad would not freeze well. It is best to make it fresh within a couple of days of serving it.

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BLT Pasta Salad

5 from 8 votes

This BLT pasta salad not only has juicy tomatoes, crispy bacon, and fresh romaine lettuce, but is made even better by a zesty ranch based dressing.

Prep Time 40

Total Time 40

Servings

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Ingredients

16 ounces rotini pasta (cooked, drained, and rinsed with cold water)
13 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
½ large red onion, finely diced
1½ cup cheddar cheese, cut into cubes (measured after cut)
2 cups romaine lettuce, measured after cut or torn into bit sized pieces
1 avocado, cut into small pieces
1½ cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half (measured after cut)
¼ cup parsley, chopped

Dressing

1 ounce Hidden Valley Dressing Mix, dry
1½ cups mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream

Instructions

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the dry ranch dressing mix, mayonnaise, and sour cream. Use a whisk to mix it together. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Cook rotini pasta per package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Place in a large mixing bowl.
Add cooked and chopped bacon, red onion, cheddar cheese cubes, avocado, cherry tomatoes, parsley, and romaine lettuce. Pour dressing mix over ingredients. Use tongs to gently toss salad until well coated.
Serve immediately.

Video

Notes

Cut ingredients in half if serving for a smaller crowd as this recipe makes a large salad, perfect for sharing with big groups!
Rinsing the cooked pasta in cold water after draining is best when doing a cold pasta salad recipe. It stops the pasta from cooking, and it keeps the pasta loose for the salad.
Al dente is the ideal consistency for pasta. The pasta will be tender and will still have a slightly firm texture when you bite into it.

Nutrition

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Proudly Prepared by the Spaceships Kitchen

This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!

Stephanie Keeping Publisher
Layne Kangas Marketing
Sian Cox Photographer
Lexus Monroe Editorial Assistant

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