November 9, 2022
Review RecipeBLT 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
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.
BLT Pasta Salad Ingredients
You’ll need:
For the Salad
- 16-ounce 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
- 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 cherry tomatoes, cut in half (measured after cut in half)
- ¼ cup parsley, chopped
For the Dressing
- 1 (1-ounce) packet dry Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning mix
- 1½ 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 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
STEP ONE: In a medium bowl, combine dry ranch dressing mix, mayonnaise, and sour cream. Use a whisk to mix together. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
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.
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.
MORE SALAD RECIPES
Storage
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 entire 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
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 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 8
Ingredients
- 1 (16-ounce) box rotini pasta, cooked, drained and rinsed with cold water
- 13 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
- ½ large red onion, finely diced
- 1½ 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
- 1½ cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half (measured after cut)
- ¼ cup parsley, chopped
Dressing
- 1 ounce package Hidden Valley Dressing Mix, dry
- 1½ cups mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine dry 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.
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
Calories: 611kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 59g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 22g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 919mg | Potassium: 346mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1697IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 184mg | Iron: 1mg
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Comments
Cathy says
What flavour of hidden valley dressing
Layne Kangas says
I used their classic ranch, but you could try a different one for a different flavor if you’d like! 🙂 Enjoy!!
jay platte says
yummmmm, this recipe is mouthwatering!
Stephanie F says
What is the serving size for one person?
Layne Kangas says
Each serving is about a cup. Enjoy!
Stacey Thias says
Thank you! My entire family loved this recipe!
Tina says
This was the perfect recipe for a recent family bbq where we had beef brisket! This was a big hit! Family took home plenty of leftover pasta salad! 😍
Liz says
Would it be just as good with light mayo and fat free greek yogurt instead of sour cream?
Layne Kangas says
I haven’t tried it that way – I would think it would but please let me know how it turns out for you!
Mike says
Love these flavors, delicious pasta salad!
tammie m Halbach says
Making this tonight!!! Will be so refreshing after a hot day!
Lora says
How much bottled Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing would you use?
Layne Kangas says
Hi, Lora – we haven’t tried using the ready-made dressing in this so I’m not sure how you would need to substitute for it to turn out correctly.