BLT Pasta Salad Recipe
With all the flavor of the sandwich, this BLT Pasta Salad Recipe is the best quick and easy side dish. Simply combine Rotini pasta, crispy bacon, fresh lettuce, juicy tomatoes, and creamy ranch dressing and gently toss.
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
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.