BLT Pasta Salad
Easily one of my favorite pasta salad recipes, this BLT Pasta Salad has everything you love from a classic BLT including juicy tomatoes, crispy bacon, lettuce and more!
This BLT Pasta Salad is my go-to summer potluck and party recipe for a crowd! Picnics, family gatherings, you name it… this recipe is always a winner! The addition of pasta makes it a heartier salad so it’s not only delicious but also filling! (P.S. Don’t miss my creamy parmesan pasta salad if you love this one)!
Just like the classic “BLT” sandwich, you have bacon, lettuce and tomato but with the addition of pasta, red onion and a creamy ranch dressing for the ultimate party salad! I also love to make it for a weeknight meal because my whole family loves it! Plus, you can customize it by adding chicken or shrimp if you fancy more protein!
BLT Pasta Salad Ingredient Notes
BACON: I like a thick-cut bacon in this salad, but use what you like! You can even substitute in turkey bacon.
LETTUCE: Use a hearty lettuce like romaine, chop it as finely as you like. Iceberg would also work well!
TOMATOES: You can really use any tomato variety you prefer, I recommend a cherry or grape tomato. Just cut them into small pieces.
PASTA: Any short-cut pasta will work! I like bowtie (also known as farfalle) but you could use elbow, rotini, mini bowtie, penne, or ziti.
ONION: I like a finely diced red onion, but you could also use green onion. To remove a bit of the “bite” of red onion, soak the diced red onion in water while you prepare the rest of the salad.
DRESSING: I highly recommend getting the packet of ranch seasoning and dressing mix and combining it with milk to make your own ranch dressing. It tastes so much better than store-bought, but if you love a ranch dressing from the store, use it!
SALT & PEPPER: Add to your taste.
Tips for Making In Advance
This salad is great for making in advance. Generally, the lettuce is hearty and chopped up enough to not wilt too much in the refrigerator over the course of a couple days. The dressing will absorb in to the salad quite a bit, so I recommend having extra dressing on hand to drizzle over the salad if not serving right away! Ideally you’ll eat within a day or two, but it can last up to 3 days.
Variations and Substitutions for BLT Pasta Salad
I always recommend adjusting any salad recipe to your favorite flavors. Make it as directed in the recipe card at the end of the post or consider a few of these substitution ideas below!
- Add chopped avocado
- Switch up the dressing: honey mustard dressing or blue cheese dressing would be tasty!
- Add a protein like grilled chicken or shrimp
- Add shredded cheddar cheese or parmesan cheese
- Switch out the romaine lettuce for spinach or arugula
- Add more veggies like diced cucumber or bell pepper
I hope you love this BLT Pasta Salad as much as my family! It’s a staple at our house because it’s SO good, we especially love it in the summertime with garden-fresh tomatoes.
Here are a few other salads to try that I think you’ll love! Edamame & Corn Salad, Mediterranean Cucumber Salad, and my Creamy Parmesan Pasta Salad! DELISH!
BLT Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 16-oz package bowtie pasta
- 10 strips bacon cooked and chopped
- 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 1/3 red onion diced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp coarse black pepper
For the Dressing
- 1 packet ranch seasoning and dressing mix
- 3/4 cup milk
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together ranch seasoning packet, milk and mayonnaise. Refrigerate to thicken up while prepping the rest of your salad.
- Cook pasta according to package instructions, drain and rinse with cold water.
- In a large bowl, combine pasta, crumbled bacon, cherry tomatoes, chopped lettuce and diced red onion. Pour over about 1/2 of the dressing and gently fold to coat evenly. Add more or less, to taste. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- If refrigerating salad to eat later, reserve extra dressing to add on right before serving.
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