BLT Pasta Salad
This BLT pasta salad recipe is a delicious twist on the classic summer side dish. Pasta, tomatoes, bacon and more are tossed in a flavorful homemade dressing.
Servings: 16 Servings
Cost: $7
Ingredients
- 16 ounces rotini pasta
- 16 ounces bacon (cooked and diced, greased reserved)
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes (2 cups, halved)
- 4 green onions (¼ cup, sliced thin)
- 2 cups romaine lettuce (shredded, loosely packed)
- 1 avocado (diced)
Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons reserved bacon grease
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
Instructions
Cook Pasta
- Cook pasta in salted water until al dente.
- Once cooked, drain but do not rinse.
- Transfer the pasta to a large bowl to cool, stirring occasionally to release heat.
Bake Bacon & Reserve Grease
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake bacon until done (see post: how to bake bacon)
- Remove bacon from the oven, use tongs to transfer the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate. Pour the bacon grease from the pan into a glass measuring cup or bowl to save.
- Once bacon in cool, transfer it to a cutting board and cut into strips ½ to 1” pieces
Make the Dressing
- In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk together mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons of reserved bacon grease, and the rest of the dressing ingredients.
Assemble & Chill
- Ad, tomatoes, onion and bacon to cooled pasta and stir to combine.
- Stir in dressing until evenly distributed.
- Secure the lid and chill completely (at least 3 hours).
Serve
- When ready to serve, stir in the lettuce. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to your liking.
- If desired, add avocado.
- Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with extra bacon, tomatoes, lettuce, salt and pepper and serve.
Video
Notes
Ingredient Substitution Notes
- Pasta: You can easily make this dish gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta. Choose your favorite shape (rotini, penne, etc.).
- Cherry Tomatoes. diced large tomatoes like heirloom or Roma also work well.
- Bacon. I suggest making this oven baked bacon for this BLT pasta salad.
- Lettuce. Romaine, iceberg, red leaf, green leaf, etc. are all great choices.
- Mayonnaise. I suggest organic mayo for the best taste.
- Dijon Mustard. choose your favorite variety such as yellow, honey mustard, spicy, etc.
- Honey. granulated sugar is a good substitute.
- Lemon juice. freshly squeezed or bottled both work well.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 349kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 366mg | Potassium: 273mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 725IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg