This creamy, crunchy BLT Pasta Salad recipe is based off of the classic bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich. We’ve swapped out spinach for the lettuce, and added in mozzarella cheese, avocados, and parsley before covering the whole thing in ranch dressing.
This easy and irresistible summer side dish is always a popular one at BBQs and picnics. If you are looking for more pasta salads, you can try our Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad, Italian Pasta Salad and this Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad.
BLT Pasta Salad Recipe
This BLT Pasta Salad recipe is a family favorite and great for bringing to potlucks, BBQs, or anytime you need an easy side dish. It’s a play on the classic BLT sandwich, using crispy bacon bits, fresh cherry tomatoes, and baby spinach as the base. From there, we also add mozzarella cheese, diced avocados, chopped parsley, and cooked pasta, drowning it all in creamy ranch dressing.
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Feel free to swap out different types of pasta, lettuces, dressings, and mix-ins based on what your family likes and what you have on hand. Red onions taste particularly great, as does adding a little extra sour cream or mayonnaise to your ranch dressing.
Key Ingredients
- Pasta – be sure to use dried pasta instead of fresh as fresh pasta will not hold up very well. Just about any bite-sized pasta will work including spiral pasta, rotini, penne, bowtie pasta, mostaccioli, or even macaroni.
- Bacon – you can use any kind of bacon that you’d like to make bacon bits. Or, take a shortcut and purchase pre-cooked bacon or even premade bacon bits.
- Cherry Tomatoes – you can use any color or type of cherry tomatoes. Typically I cut them in half so that they are easier to eat. You could also substitute other diced tomatoes if you prefer.
- Mozzarella Cheese – you have a few options when it comes to mozzarella cheese for pasta salad. You can cut mozzarella cheese sticks into bite-sized pieces, or cut chunks from a brick of cheese, use fresh mozzarella balls or even use shredded cheese.
- Spinach – instead of lettuce for this “BLT” we like to use spinach. Baby spinach from the bag works great. Otherwise, chop or tear spinach into bite-sized pieces. You could also substitute arugula or romaine lettuce.
- Avocado – if you plan to make this salad ahead of time, be sure and add the avocado just before serving. Otherwise, it will turn brown and become rather mushy.
- Parsley – fresh parsley tastes great in pasta salad and adds nice color.
- Ranch Dressing – you can use store-bought ranch or make your own Homemade Ranch Dressing using a dressing mix, mayonnaise, and buttermilk. If you want your salad dressing to be extra creamy you could mix in 1/4 cup of sour cream.
More Mix-In Ingredient Ideas
If you’re looking for more mix-in ideas, here are a few of our favorite pasta BLT salad recipe variations:
- Red onion
- Peas
- Bell Pepper
- Cucumber
- Homemade Croutons
How to Make BLT Pasta Salad
- Cook the pasta. Cook the pasta until al dente, according to package directions, then rinse with cold water until cool. Transfer drained and rinsed pasta to a large mixing bowl once cooled.
- Make the bacon bits. Meanwhile, cut bacon into 1/2″ slices. Cook the bacon in a saute pan over medium-high heat until crispy, then remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Chop into bits once cooled.
- Combine salad ingredients. To the mixing bowl with the cooked pasta, add the bacon bits, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, spinach, diced avocados, and chopped parsley.
- Add the dressing. Pour the ranch dressing over the salad ingredients and mix until everything is evenly coated.
- Serve. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Enjoy!
Recipe Variations
- Blend ripe avocados into the dressing for an extra rich and velvety texture.
- For a heartier version, add grilled chicken. This grilled garlic and Parmesan chicken recipe would work great. Once cooled, chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces and mix it into the salad along with the bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, and pasta.
- Mix some hot sauce or sriracha into the dressing to give it an extra zing. You can also include sliced jalapenos or crushed red pepper flakes for added spice.
- To turn this into a caprese BLT salad, add some mozzarella cheese balls, fresh basil leaves, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you want to make BLT Pasta Salad ahead of time, you can prep the entire salad the day before. However, I recommend leaving the spinach and avocado separate and adding them just before serving. They don’t hold up as well and will become a little wilted and mushy.
First of all, you want to be sure and use dry pasta when making pasta salad. Fresh pasta doesn’t hold up nearly as well. As far as the best shape for pasta salad, choose something smaller that has plenty of little nooks and crannies to hold the ranch dressing. I recommend using spiral, rotini, fusilli, farfalle, macaroni, shells or penne.
When you are finished cooking pasta for pasta salad, it’s best to rinse the noodles under cold water. This stops them from cooking any further, but it also rinses off some of the residual starches left on them from the pasta water that can cause the noodles to stick together.
Storing Instructions
- Refrigerator: store leftover pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Make-Ahead: you can make this salad up to 24 hours in advance, but we suggest leaving the spinach and avocados out and adding them at the last minute. You could also cook the pasta and bacon bits up to 2 days in advance and store them in the fridge.
BLT Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 ounces pasta, cooked al dente
- 1 pound bacon, or 1 ½ cups prepared bacon bits
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, cubed, pearls, or sliced cheese sticks
- 6 ounces baby spinach
- 2 large avocados, diced
- 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
- 1 cup ranch dressing
Instructions
- Cook the pasta until al dente, according to package directions, then run cold water over the cooked pasta to cool. Transfer cooled pasta to a large mixing bowl.
- Meanwhile, cut bacon into 1/2" slices. Cook in a saute pan over medium high heat until crispy, then remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Chop into bits once cooled.
- To the mixing bowl with the cooked pasta, add the bacon bits, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, spinach, diced avocados, and chopped parsley.
- Pour the ranch dressing over the salad ingredients and mix until everything is evenly coated.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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You will love this quick and easy Pasta BLT Salad Recipe that is perfect for any summer gathering. It’s filled with bacon, lettuce, tomato and more, all drowned in creamy ranch dressing.
Categories:
30-Minute Meals, 4th of July, Easy Weeknight Meals, Healthy, Nut-Free, Salads, Sides, Spring Recipes, Summer Recipes,
