Looking for an easy and delicious side dish to take to your next potluck or barbecue? This BLT pasta salad is the perfect solution! With just a few simple ingredients, you can have a tasty dish that everyone will love. Plus, it’s perfect for those hot summer days when you don’t want to turn on the oven. So give this recipe a try today and surprise your taste buds!
Cold Side Dish Recipe
Cold Pasta Salad is a summer staple and so easy to whip up. Our simple ingredient recipe makes it easy to make for lunch, dinner, a picnic or BBQ. Most people cannot get enough of this twist on the classic BLT- turned salad!
If you are looking for a good recipe for your next BBQ or get-together, look no further than this BLT Pasta salad. It has all the flavors of a classic blt, and it’s really the next best thing!
Ingredients:
- 16 oz. fusilli pasta
- 1\2 bottle ranch dressing
- Bacon Bits
- 1 bag chopped romaine lettuce
- 8 oz. cherry tomatoes
- Black Pepper (to taste)
Can I use a different type of tomato?
Cherry tomatoes are a perfect size but you could dice up roma or regular sized tomatoes in a pinch, too! Grape tomatoes are good, too!
Can I use a different type of pasta?
You could use any type of pasta that you want – bow tie pasta, rotini pasta and cavatappi pasta would be another excellent option.
What type of ranch dressing do you use for this recipe?
We like to use Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing, but you can use whatever kind you want. Homemade would be a great option as well.
Do I have to use romaine lettuce?
If you don’t like romaine lettuce, spinach could work pretty well. You could also use iceberg lettuce if you are looking for a more crunchy lettuce option.
Can I make my own bacon bits?
Bacon Bits helps keep this salad really quick to assemble but you could always use pre-cooked or regular bacon. Be sure to crumble the bacon into small pieces to replicate bacon bits.
How can I make this recipe healthier?
- You could use turkey bacon instead of pork bacon
- Use a low fat ranch dressing
- Make a homemade dressing
Variations
- Use a different type of pasta
- Use a spicy ranch dressing
- Add a squeeze of lemon juice
- Add fresh veggies like the addition of fresh avocados, green peppers, red onions, or green onions.
- Add some cheese, such as shredded cheddar cheese
How to make BLT Pasta Salad
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over medium-high heat
- Cook noodles in the water until al dente according to package directions.
- Drain noodles and place them in a large mixing bowl
- Cut cherry tomatoes in half
- Add romaine lettuce and tomatoes
- Toss bacon bits in and add ranch dressing
- Mix together
- Refrigerate for one hour and serve cold for better flavor
What is BLT Pasta Salad?
BLT Pasta Salad is a delicious take on your favorite BLT Sandwich. It is a cold dish that has all your favorite flavors of the sandwich in salad form – from fresh salad and crispy bacon to a creamy ranch dressing, this is a great addition to any spread.
It is crunchy and creamy because of the crisp tomatoes and romaine, crunchy bacon bits and the delicious ranch dressing. Adding noodles to the mix makes it the perfect salad for large or small crowds.
Tips for making BLT Pasta Salad
This salad is so easy to make because of the simple ingredients and the ease of putting it together.
How long will BLT Salad stay good for?
You can store most pasta salad leftovers in the fridge for 2-3 days. However, the lettuce and bacon bits could get soggy if not eaten day of.
Can you make BLT Pasta Salad ahead of time?
You can make this salad up to 24 hours in advance.
If you do, add the lettuce and bacon bits one hour before serving.
Is this a hot pasta salad?
We recommend serving this as a cold pasta salad.
How can I store the leftovers?
You will want to store leftovers in an airtight container. Because there is lettuce in this dish, it might get mushy pretty easily, so I would eat the leftovers within the next day or so.
Can I make this the day before?
You could make most of it ahead of time – I would wait until you are about an hour away from serving the meal to add the lettuce and salad dressing to help prevent wilting.
5 Ingredient BLT Pasta Salad
BLT Pasta Salad is the perfect summer salad. The crispy bacon and creamy dressing is the perfect combination. You will love our easy Pasta Salad recipe!
Ingredients
- 16 oz. fusilli pasta
- 1\2 bottle ranch dressing
- 1/2 cup Bacon Bits
- 1 bag chopped romaine lettuce
- 8 oz. cherry tomatoes
Instructions
- Bring water to boil
- Cook noodles
- Drain noodles and place in large bowl
- Cut cherry tomatoes in half
- Add romaine lettuce and tomatoes
- Toss bacon bits in and add ranch dressing
- Mix together
- Refrigerate for one hour and serve cold
Notes
- Bacon Bits helps keep this salad really quick to assemble but you could always use pre-cooked or regular bacon. Be sure to crumble the bacon into small pieces to replicate bacon bits.
- Store bought ranch works amazingly and tastes delicious but you can also use homemade ranch if you would like.
- Cherry tomatoes are the perfect size but you could dice up roma or regular sized tomatoes in a pinch, too!
- I typically use fusilli noodles but you could whatever type you prefer- bow-tie or rotini would work great.
- If you don’t have romaine lettuce on hand ice berg or spinach would be a great substitute!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 146Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 133mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 3gSugar: 2gProtein: 6g
Please verify this information with your preferred nutrition calculator.
Other salad recipes you may enjoy:
- Easy Watergate Jello Salad
- Easy Red Skin Potato Salad with Bacon (Stove and Instant Pot Instructions
- 4-Ingredient Pesto Pasta Salad
- Easy Tortellini Pasta Salad
- The Best Instant Pot Potato Salad
- Copycat Longhorn Steakhouse Salad and Ranch Dressing Recipe
- Jalapeno Popper Potato Salad
- Easy Avocado, Corn, and Black Bean Salad
BLT Pasta Salad will be your go-to summer salad, and it’s sure to be a huge hit. The fresh ingredients and ranch dressing make for the most amazing flavors – you might start to think you are taking a bite out of a classic blt sandwich. You will love our easy Pasta Salad recipe!
- About the Author
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Katie Clark is a mom of three with a passion for creating home-cooked meals every night for her family. She has learned the skill of cooking from the time she was young and comes from a long-line of women who love to cook. Over the years, she has developed this skill to not only help her family but thousands around the world with her popular copycat recipes, jello salads, and twists on traditional favorites. She has a degree in journalism and loves to help others succeed in getting dinner on the table!
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