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    Home » Real Food » Salads

    BLT Pasta Salad

    July 30, 2022 | By Kristen Chidsey | 50 Comments | *This post may include amazon links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    If you love BLTs you will love this recipe for BLT Pasta Salad! Made with crispy bacon, juicy tomatoes, crisp lettuce, tender pasta, and rich dressing, BLT Pasta Salad perfectly mimics the flavors of a classic BLT sandwich in pasta salad form.

    If you love BLTs you will love this recipe for BLT Pasta Salad! Made with crispy bacon, juicy tomatoes, crisp lettuce, tender pasta, and rich dressing, BLT Pasta Salad perfectly mimics the flavors of a classic BLT sandwich in pasta salad form.

    Bowl of creamy BLT Pasta Salad with grape tomatoes in background.

    Inspired by a classic BLT sandwich, this unforgettable pasta salad is made with crispy bacon, sweet tomatoes, fresh lettuce, and a rich creamy dressing. Talk about genius!

    Not only is BLT Pasta Salad insanely delicious, but it is also the most requested potluck side dish ever. I think it goes without saying that any dish with bacon is the first to disappear at a party and this pasta salad not only features bacon, but is unexpected, yet delivers classic flavors that people know and love. It is simply a favorite--and pretty simple to make as well!

    Whether taking this dish to a party or serving it with homemade burgers, you need this BLT Pasta Salad in your life. It is just too good to pass up!

    Notes on Ingredients

    Ingredients for BLT pasta salad labled on counter.
    • Pasta: Any noodle with curves or ridges will work for this pasta salad. Those curves and ridges will help to catch the dressing and ensure every bite is flavorful. Use regular, whole wheat, or gluten-free noodles such as rotini, corkscrew, or cavatelli.
    • Bacon: You can't have BLT without bacon! Thick-cut bacon is best so that it really adds heartiness and chew to the pasta salad. 
    • Lettuce: I recommend using hearts of romaine lettuce for this pasta salad. It adds crispness to this dish and stands up well to the dressing.
    • Tomatoes: The riper the tomato, the better the taste. If you have vine-ripened tomatoes, use those when in season, but be sure to de-seed and finely chop to prevent the pasta salad from becoming watery. I personally opt to use cherry or grape tomatoes, as they are easy to find year-round and do not need to be deseeded before adding to the dish. 
    • Mayonnaise: Use low-fat or full-fat mayonnaise to form the base of the dressing. Fat-free mayo is full of sugar and additives that take away from the taste of this salad. 

    How to make BLT Pasta Salad

    This pasta salad comes together in four easy steps: Cook the pasta, fry the bacon, mix together the dressing, and toss it all together. It is more efficient to fry the bacon while the pasta is cooking and whisk together the dressing and chop up the lettuce and tomatoes while the bacon and pasta are cooling. By doing this, the components of the pasta salad are ready at the same time, meaning less time overall in the kitchen.

    Step One: Prepare Pasta

    • Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil.
    • Season the boiling water with salt--this will help to flavor the pasta. Then add in the noodles to the seasoned boiling water and cook according to the package directions.
    • Once cooked, drain the pasta, but DO NOT rinse your pasta! This causes the pasta to lose flavor and the starch that helps the dressing adhere to the noodles.
    • Let the pasta cool before tossing it with the remaining ingredients. Pro Tip: Cool your pasta quickly by spreading out on a large rimmed sheet pan and placing it in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.
    Cooked pasta on sheet pan cooling and then in bowl waiting for pasta salad ingredients.

    Step Two: Prepare the Bacon

    While the water is coming to a boil for the pasta, use this time to either pan-fry or bake bacon. Either option works great. Baking bacon is hands-off and pan-frying the bacon is slightly faster. It is also a great method when the summer temps are just too hot to turn on the oven! Keep in mind regardless of the method of baking you use, you will want to reserve some bacon drippings for the dressing.

    • To bake the bacon, lay the bacon slices out onto a baking rack fitted over a rimmed sheet pan. Bake at 400 degrees F, until crispy and browned. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the drippings from the sheet pan for the dressing. Then let the bacon cool on a paper-towel-lined plate. Once cooled, dice up into bite-sized pieces.
    • To pan-fry the bacon, dice up the bacon into bite-sized pieces. Pan-fry the bacon over medium-high heat, until brown and crispy. Remove the cooked bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to cool. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease to use in the pasta salad dressing.
    Side by side photo of bacon being pan fried and then cooling on paper towel lined plate.

    Step Three: Prepare Dressing and Vegetables

    While the pasta and bacon finish cooking, use that time to wash, dry, and chop your lettuce, chives, and tomatoes for the pasta salad. While the pasta and bacon are cooling, use that time to whisk together the BLT pasta salad dressing.

    • For the dressing, whisk together the mayonnaise, reserved bacon drippings, sugar, vinegar, and shallots together. Mix until the sugar is fully dissolved.
    Side by side photo showing BLT Pasta Salad dressing before and after whisking together.

    Step Four: Assemble BLT Pasta Salad

    • In a large mixing bowl, combine the Toss the lettuce, bacon, tomatoes, cooled pasta, chopped chives, and dressing, and toss well.
    Side by side photo of pasta, lettuce, tomatoes, and bacon in a bowl before and after being mixed with dressing.

    Step Five: Serve

    I said this pasta salad came together in four easy steps, not five! But the fifth step really doesn't count as work. It is simply serving this delicious bacon lettuce tomato pasta salad that will win you rave reviews!

    You can serve BLT Pasta Salad immediately after assembling, for a slightly warm pasta salad. Or chill for 30 minutes before serving, which is my recommendation. This will allow the flavors to marry together a bit better and enhance the flavor.

    Bowl of creamy BLT Pasta Salad with grape tomatoes in background.

    Tips for Serving Safely

    To make this BLT salad versatile for an outdoor gathering, as it does contain mayo, nestle your serving bowl on top of a larger serving bowl that has been filled with ice or ice packs. This will keep bacteria from growing for at least 2 hours--probably much longer, especially if you switch out your ice or ice pack.

    MORE SUMMER POTLUCK FAVORITES

    Just like my recipe for Potato Salad with Bacon and Baked Beans with Bacon, this recipe for BLT Pasta Salad is always a hit! People just love bacon 😉 Of course, you can never have too many dishes at a potluck or picnic. Below are a few more favorites.

    • Cucumber Salad 
    • Watermelon Salsa
    • Blueberry Pie Bars
    • Caprese Pasta Salad
    • Broccoli Salad

    If you tried this recipe for BLT Pasta Salad, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.

    Close up of bowl of creamy BLT pasta Salad.

    BLT Pasta Salad

    Made with crispy bacon, juicy tomatoes, crisp lettuce, tender pasta, and rich dressing, BLT Pasta Salad perfectly mimics the flavors of a classic BLT sandwich in pasta salad form.
    5 from 18 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 25 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes
    Servings: 15
    Calories: 271kcal
    Author: Kristen Chidsey

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound corkscrew noodles
    • 1 pound bacon
    • 1 head hearts of romaine lettuce chopped
    • 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes sliced in half
    • 3 tablespoons chives minced
    • ½ cup mayonnaise
    • 2 tablespoons minced shallots
    • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon sugar
    • 1 tablespoon bacon drippings
    Prevents your screen from going dark while preparing the recipe.

    Instructions

    • Cook pasta according to package directions. Once the pasta has been cooked, drain, DO NOT RINSE, and cool the pasta completely. You can speed the process up by spreading the cooked pasta onto a rimmed baking sheet.
    • While the pasta is cooking, dice the bacon into ½-inch strips and cook over medium-high heat until the bacon is crisp and browned. Remove the cooked bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to cool. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease to use in the pasta salad dressing.
    • In a small bowl, mix together the reserved bacon drippings, mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, and salt for the pasta salad dressing.
    • Toss the dressing, cooked and cooled pasta, chives, tomatoes, lettuce, and bacon bits together until evenly distributed.
    • Refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours before serving.

    Notes

    Bacon Grease: Feel free to omit the bacon grease from the dressing. It adds incredible flavor, but the pasta salad is delicious without this addition. 
    Noodles: Use any variety of noodles with curved edges, just as campenelle, corkscrew, or rotini. To make this a Gluten-Free BLT Pasta Salad, use gluten-free pasta.
    Tomatoes: If using vine-ripened tomatoes, be sure to seed them before adding them to the pasta salad, to prevent the pasta salad from becoming watered down.
    Lettuce: I love the crispness of hearts of romaine or iceberg lettuce in this pasta salad. Both stand up well to the dressing.
    Bake Bacon: Rather than pan-fry the bacon, you can opt to bake your bacon. To bake the bacon, lay the bacon slices out onto a baking rack fitted over a rimmed sheet pan. Bake at 400 degrees F, until crispy and browned. Reserve 1 tablespoon of drippings from your pan for the dressing. Let the bacon cool, then dice up into bite-sized pieces.
    Storage: Store any leftover BLT pasta salad in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 271kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 696mg | Potassium: 294mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 965IU | Vitamin C: 9.9mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1.2mg
    Liked this Recipe? Tag me Today!Snap a picture and tag #amindfullmom on Instagram - I would love to see!

    This post was originally published in 2018 but has been updated in 2022.  

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    Categorized Under: Allergy Friendly Recipes, Pasta, Real Food, Salads, Side Dishes

    About Kristen Chidsey

    Hi, I am Kristen, creator of A Mind "Full" Mom. I believe that making a wholesome family meal does not need to be hard or expensive! I love nothing more than to share with you delicious solutions for your hungry family.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kristyn

      August 12, 2022 at 5:43 am

      5 stars
      I could eat the whole bowl 🙂 Love this pasta!! It goes with so many things & tastes delicious!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        August 12, 2022 at 6:55 am

        I struggle to not eat the whole bowl myself 🙂

        Reply
    2. jess

      August 11, 2022 at 6:05 am

      5 stars
      I never thought of this pasta salad, and it tastes amazing! thank you for sharing this recipe!

      Reply
    3. Eden

      August 09, 2022 at 7:18 pm

      5 stars
      Wow!! First of all this is such a great idea for a pasta salad. Secondly, it was SO good! We all loved it and I can't wait to make it again!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        August 10, 2022 at 7:01 am

        Wonderful! Thanks for sharing Eden!

        Reply
    4. Marcia

      July 30, 2022 at 10:19 am

      5 stars
      Yum, I put my bacon in a 10x15x1 baking stone and use parchment paper in it so cleanup is a breeze. My baking stone fits 8 or 9 pieces of thick cut bacon at one time. And Beth is so right, breakfast! Thanks for this recipe.

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        July 30, 2022 at 11:09 am

        So smart and easy! And delicious of course 🙂

        Reply
    5. Beth

      May 28, 2020 at 1:10 pm

      5 stars
      Hurray for Salad Season that brings us recipes like this one!! I could eat this salad for lunch and dinner and now that you've put bacon in it, it has become a breakfast meal too! Delish!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        May 28, 2020 at 1:15 pm

        LOL! I never thought to eat this for breakfast--but now I am tempted 😉

        Reply
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