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This BLT pasta salad recipe is a fun spin on the classic bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich. This is a creamy pasta salad that is light and delicious. The addition of fresh avocado and Ranch seasoning makes this ranch BLT salad unlike any pasta salad you’ve ever had before. It’s simply the best!
Wondering what to serve with BLT pasta salad? It’s wonderful with these Parmesan Pork Chops or this Oven Baked Chicken. BLT pasta salad is also great alongside classic sandwiches like this Grilled Ham and Cheese or The Best Egg Salad Sandwich.
MORE PASTA SALAD RECIPES
Italian Pasta Salad | Elbow Macaroni Pasta Salad
INGREDIENTS FOR BLT PASTA SALAD
You will need:
For Salad:
- 16 oz box Rotini pasta, cooked, drained, and rinsed with cold water
- 13 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped
- ½ of a large red onion, finely diced
- 1.5 cups of cheddar cheese, cut into cubes (measured after it’s been cubed)
- 2 cups of romaine lattice, cut or torn into bite size pieces (measured after it’s in pieces)
- 1 avocado, cut into small pieces
- 1.5 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half (measured after cut in half)
- ¼ cup parsley, chopped
For Dressing:
- 1 1-oz packet Hidden Valley Dressing Mix (dry)
- 1.5 cups of mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
PRO TIP: Cut all ingredient amounts in half if you are serving a smaller group, as this will make a large mixing bowl full of salad.
INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS & Additions
PASTA: You can use any type of small pasta in this 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 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. You can also use a different type of cheese if you prefer. Pepper jack, colby jack, provolone, or swiss would all be great options. All of them could be used in a shredded form or cut into cubes.
HOW TO MAKE RANCH BLT PASTA SALAD
STEP ONE: In a medium bowl, combine dry Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix, mayonnaise, and sour cream. Use a whisk to mix together. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
STEP TWO: Cook rotini pasta per package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Place in a large mixing bowl.
STEP THREE: Add cook and chopped bacon, red onion, cheddar cheese cubes, avocado, cherry tomatoes, parsley, and romaine lettuce. Then, pour dressing mix over the ingredients. Use tongs to gently toss the salad until everything is well coated.
STEP FOUR: Serve immediately.
STORING THIS RECIPE
The romaine salad in BLT pasta salad does not save 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 entire mixture and add fresh lettuce when you serve again.
Store leftovers in a tightly sealed container for up to 24 hours and eat the next day. I don’t recommend keeping this in the fridge for more than 24 hours.
BLT pasta salad is a light and creamy pasta salad. It takes the classic bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich and turns it into a delicious summer side dish complete with avocado and Ranch dressing. This is absolutely the best Ranch BLT pasta salad!
More SIDE DISH REcipes You’Ll Love
- Elote (Mexican Street Corn)
- Cauliflower Breadsticks
- Cucumber Salad
- Funeral Potatoes
- Grilled Corn on the Cob
BLT Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 16 oz box Rotini pasta cooked, drained and rinsed with cold water
- 13 slices bacon cooked and chopped
- 1/2 large red onion finely diced
- 1 1/2 cups 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
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes cut in half (measured after cut)
- 1/4 cup parsley chopped
Dressing Ingredients
- 1- 1 oz packed Hidden Valley Dressing Mix dry
- 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl combine dry Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix, mayonnaise, and sour cream. Use a whisk to mix 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.
What flavour of hidden valley dressing
I used their classic ranch, but you could try a different one for a different flavor if you’d like! 🙂 Enjoy!!