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One of my favorite things about summer is a big ol’ juicy BLT sandwich. But until those gorgeous summer tomatoes come in, I’ll be enjoying that BLT flavor in salad form. This BLT Pasta Salad gives me all that creamy, tomatoey, bacony flavor I love but in a cold pasta salad form. Plus, it’s great for all your summer BBQs, picnics, and potlucks. So, if you haven’t tried this classic summer pasta salad, put it on your list!
“This was easy and DELICIOUS. I personally will always make and refrigerate for awhile before eating. The flavor explodes when you give it time to cool and settle into the noodles in the fridge. This is a keeper I will be putting into my rotation, especially for summer gatherings.”
Samara
Easy Recipe for BLT Pasta Salad
Okay, just in case you’ve never experienced the beautiful simplicity of a BLT sandwich, let’s start there. “BLT” stands for “bacon lettuce tomato.” For this BLT pasta salad, I keep the core flavors the same, but I flesh it out just a bit. Lettuce can be a bit too delicate for pasta salad, so I used fresh spinach instead (I think it holds up better and has better color and texture for a pasta salad). To give the dressing a little more flavor than just plain mayo, I add a little ranch dressing, lemon juice for zing, and some salt and pepper. I also added a little diced red onion for flavor and texture. It’s still super simple and totally delish!
Recipe Success Tips!
- You can use any short pasta shape for this recipe, like rotini, small shells, macaroni, orecchiette, cavatappi, or farfalle (bowtie). I went for bowtie because I thought the shape was super cute in this salad!
- If you don’t love the bite of raw onion, add the diced onion to a bowl of very cold (or iced) water while you cook the bacon. This will take the raw edge off and mellow the flavor. Drain and dry it once the bacon is done.
- Add any other veggies you love! I think fresh (cooked) corn, diced bell pepper, or cucumbers would be great. You could also add some romaine lettuce (just before serving to keep it crisp) if you want more L in your BLT pasta salad.
BLT Pasta Salad
Servings 8 servings (1 cup each)Ingredients
- 8 oz. bacon ($3.06)
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise ($0.92)
- 1/4 cup ranch dressing ($0.30)
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice ($0.12)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
- 12 oz. bowtie pasta ($1.18)
- 1 pint grape tomatoes ($3.28)
- 1/4 red onion ($0.11)
- 2 cups fresh spinach (packed, $0.46)
Instructions
- Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until brown and crispy. Transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and cool. Once cooled, chop or crumble the bacon into smaller pieces.
- While the bacon is cooking, prepare the dressing. Stir together the mayonnaise, ranch dressing, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Set the dressing aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook until tender (7-8 minutes). Drain the pasta in a colander, rinse it briefly with cool water to cool it down, then let it drain very well.
- While the pasta is cooking and draining, prepare the vegetables. Slice the grape tomatoes in half, finely dice the red onion, and roughly chop the spinach.
- Once the pasta is cooled and drained, add it to a large bowl along with the spinach, tomatoes, onions, and dressing. Stir everything together until evenly combined and coated in dressing. Let the pasta sit for 10-15 minutes for the flavors to blend, then stir once more and serve.
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Equipment
- Large 12" skillet
- Paper Towels
- Mixing bowl
- Large Pot
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make BLT Pasta Salad Step-by-Step Photos
Cook the bacon: Begin by cooking 8oz. of bacon in a skillet over medium heat until it is brown and crispy. Remove the bacon from the skillet and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Once cooled, chop or crumble the bacon into smaller pieces.
Make the dressing: While the bacon is cooking, make the salad dressing. Combine ¾ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup ranch dressing, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp freshly cracked pepper. Set the dressing aside.
Cook the pasta: Add a tablespoon of salt to a large pot of water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add 12oz. bowtie pasta and continue to boil until the pasta is tender (7-8 minutes). Drain the pasta in a colander. Give it a quick rinse with cool water to cool it off, then let it drain very well.
Prep the veggies: While the pasta is cooking and draining, slice one pint of grape tomatoes in half and finely dice ¼ of a red onion (about ⅓ cup diced).
Roughly chop 2 packed cups of fresh spinach into bite-sized pieces.
Assemble: Once the pasta is cooled and well drained, transfer it to a large bowl and add the spinach, tomatoes, onions, and dressing.
Serve: Stir until everything is evenly combined and coated in dressing. Let the salad sit for about 10 minutes for the flavors to blend a little more, then give it one more stir before serving. So summery!
Serving Suggestions
I think this BLT pasta salad is best once everything’s had time to cool down, so I always pop it in the fridge for a bit before serving. It’s great as a side or a light main. If I’m making it a meal, I’ll slice up some pan-fried chicken and lay it on top. It’s also totally giving BBQ and potluck energy, so I’d absolutely serve it with all my favorite cookout foods. I’m thinking grilled corn, chips and dip, pulled pork, and grilled BBQ chicken. It also pairs well with a sandwich, like a chicken club or a veggie melt.
Storage Instructions
This BLT pasta salad benefits from a little time in the fridge (you’ll want it to sit for 10-15 minutes for the best flavor), but it will eventually dry out, so you’ll want to make it the same day if you’re serving it to guests. I ate the leftovers for two days after I originally made the salad, and while it was still amazing the next day, it did get a little dry by day two. So, for best results, make this salad the same day you plan to serve it, and try to eat up those leftovers within a day or so!
Last year I found this recipe. It is a favorite during the summer. When I make this, I use a whole pound of bacon. Instead of spinach, I use basil. I add a little bacon grease to the dressing. It’s known as BTB pasta salad to my family. There are rarely leftovers.
So good! I just replaced the spinach with romaine and add right before serving so it still has the crunch. Bacon cooked on the griddle makes it extra delicious!
Better the second day
Good but not fantastic. Might have messed up the ratios when scaling down by half.
Honestly, the best feedback I can give is that I was sad when I dished out the last bowl. Easy, simple, delicious!
Really enjoyed this! Added some fresh corn, which I sauteed with the spinach in a bit of leftover bacon grease just until the spinach was wilted. We didn’t have the patience to wait until everything was cold for our first helpings, but honestly I thought it was pretty delicious closer to room temperature as well.
So good and easy to make!!
Looks great, eager to try!!!
Thank you for posting.
Wish my darling husband was here to try both recipes.
This was easy and DELICIOUS. I personally will always make and refrigerate for awhile before eating. The flavor explodes when you give it time to cool and settle into the noodles in the fridge. This is a keeper I will be putting into my rotation, especially for summer gatherings.
Immediately became my favorite pasta salad I’ve ever made and several people told me it was amazing. Even folks that don’t like mayo said it was amazing. Followed the recipe except omitting the onion since my spouse doesn’t like raw onions.
Can i substitute romaine lettuce FOR the spinach?? Because I DON’T like spinach!!
You could, but I’d add it right before serving as it wont keep as well once mixed with everything else.
It’s YOUR meal. You can do anything you want.
Turned out great will make again thanks
Perhaps a silly question but why add mayo to the ranch instead of using straight ranch? Wondering if I can get away with skipping that step for less prep time and fewer dishes. Thanks.
I could eat this until I threw up. It is so good.
Do you eat this as more of a side dish or is this a main dish? Looks great
You can do both!
DELICIOUS! What a frugal and delicious meal – I LOVE your website and am on a mission trying out a whole bunch of your recipes! I’m coming from having 0 idea how to cook, so these are super helpful. Loved this pasta salad and it was a huge hit. The only thing I might change is adding more onions, but I’m obsessed with onions so…. haha.