BLT Pasta Salad Recipe
Quick, easy, and full of flavor, this BLT Pasta Salad is an excellent make-ahead recipe! Enjoy all your favorite sandwich flavors at potluck dinners, backyard barbecues, or a Summer picnic!
Ingredients
- 12 oz. fusilli pasta gluten-free, cooked according to package
- 10 oz. bacon cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 3 cups Romaine lettuce coarsely chopped
-
½
red onion thinly sliced
Pasta Salad Dressing:
- ¾ cup Ranch dressing
-
¼
cup mayonnaise - 1 tsp. Djion mustard
- 1 tsp. salt
-
½
tsp. pepper
Instructions
-
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and let cool to room temperature.
-
Cut bacon into bite-sized pieces. Cook in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat for 7-8 minutes, or until cooked through. Drain bacon on a paper towel-lined plate. (Or, you can cook bacon in the oven and crumble once cooked.)
-
Mix Ranch dressing, mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper in a medium-sized bowl. Pour ¾ of the dressing over pasta in a large bowl and toss to combine. Reserve the remaining ¼ of the dressing.
-
Add in bacon, tomatoes, and red onion. Toss to combine.
-
Cover and chill pasta salad in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours or up to overnight. Just before serving add remaining dressing and Romaine lettuce. Toss to combine.
-
Serve pasta salad cold and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- If stored properly, this BLT pasta salad will last for up to 2-4 days. (Two days if using gluten-free pasta, 3-4 days if using regular pasta)
- You can either cook your bacon in a skillet or learn how to cook bacon in the oven.
- A few gluten-free pasta brands you might enjoy:
- Jovial Fusilli Pasta
- Ancient Harvest Rotini Pasta
- Barilla Rotini Pasta
- Whole Foods Chickpea Shells Pasta
Meal Prep and Storage
- To Prep-Ahead: Simply prepare the entire recipe as is and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours. Just before serving, add additional dressing and lettuce.
- To Store: Keep this pasta salad in a large airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for two days if you're using gluten-free pasta, or three to four days if using regular pasta.
Do not let this dish sit out for more than 2 hours at room temperature or for more than 1 hour at temperatures above 80 degrees.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- Choose cherry or grape tomatoes. They have a lot of flavor and aren't too watery.
- Chill for at least 2 hours. Give the flavors time to meld together.
- Mix in lettuce last. Wait until just before serving to mix in the lettuce so it stays crisp.
- Add avocado. This gives a nice creamy texture. Make sure to add right before serving to avoid browning.
- Save some dressing. Drizzling on the last bit of dressing just before serving ensures the pasta hasn't soaked it all up.