BLT Pasta Salad combines classic sandwich ingredients into an easy Summer salad perfect to serve at your next cookout. Try it today!
If you’ve tried my recipe for the Ultimate BLT Sandwich, you should definitely give this a try next. It takes all the same BLT ingredients and combines them with a Classic Pasta Salad for the perfect summer Side Dish recipe. For more tasty twists on pasta salad, try my BBQ Chicken Pasta Salad and Ham and Cheese Pasta Salad too!
Table of contents
Sabrina’s BLT Pasta Salad Recipe
Nothing gives you an all-American flavor like a filling BLT Sandwich. You just can’t beat the fantastic flavor of crunchy, salty bacon; juicy tomatoes; and crisp lettuce in each bite. I’ve kept everything you love from the sandwich and added tender pasta and creamy dressing to go with it for this creamy pasta salad recipe.
With simple, everyday ingredients like bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, and elbow macaroni, my BLT Macaroni Salad is easy to make year-round. Along with the delicious salad ingredients, it has an incredible creamy dressing made with ingredients you probably have on hand. Just combine ranch, mayo, and sour cream to make the thick, tangy dressing. You can use bottled ranch dressing, or if you want an even fresher flavor, try my Homemade Ranch Dressing.
Ingredients
- 1 pound Elbow Macaroni: The elbow macaroni’s small size makes it easy to mix with the other ingredients. Substitutions can include other short pasta shapes like penne or rotini.
- 6 slices Bacon: The first part of any BLT recipe is the crispy bacon. You can use classic bacon or thick-cut bacon, depending on your taste. Just make sure to cook the bacon strips a bit ahead of starting this recipe so that it has time to cool.
- 2 cups Romaine Lettuce: Two cups of romaine lettuce are perfect for this recipe because it gives you crisp and crunchy lettuce but has a bit more flavor than classic iceberg lettuce. Other leafy greens like iceberg lettuce or spinach can be substituted if preferred. Just make sure it’s fresh lettuce!
- 2 cups Cherry Tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes are perfect for this recipe because they’re juicy and colorful, and just slicing the fresh tomatoes in half makes them the ideal size. Grape tomatoes or diced regular tomatoes can be used as alternatives.
- 1 cup Ranch Dressing: Creamy ranch dressing serves as the velvety and tangy dressing that ties the salad together.
- ½ cup Mayonnaise: Mayonnaise adds creaminess to the dressing.
- ½ cup Sour Cream: Sour cream gives an extra tangy flavor and creamy texture to the dressing.
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt: Kosher salt helps the flavors of the salad stand out.
- ½ teaspoon Coarse Ground Black Pepper: Coarse ground black pepper adds a subtle warmth and peppery flavor to the salad.
Kitchen Tools & Equipment
- Large Pot: A large pot is used for boiling the pasta. Stir the pasta occasionally during cooking to ensure even cooking and prevent clumping.
- Skillet: A skillet is needed to cook the bacon until crispy. Use medium heat to render the fat slowly for a crispier result. Drain excess fat from the bacon using paper towels after cooking.
- Mixing Bowl: A mixing bowl is required for combining the salad ingredients and dressing. Use a large mixing bowl to ensure there’s enough room to toss the pasta salad thoroughly with the dressing.
- Whisk: A whisk is essential for blending the dressing ingredients. Use it to thoroughly blend the ranch dressing, mayonnaise, sour cream, salt, and pepper until smooth and creamy. A balloon whisk works well for this task, but any type of whisk will suffice.
- Serving Bowl: A large serving bowl is needed for serving the finished BLT Pasta Salad. Chill the serving bowl in the refrigerator beforehand to keep the salad cool during serving.
How to Make BLT Pasta Salad
Time needed: 20 minutes.
- Boil Pasta
Boil the elbow macaroni until just shy of al dente according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Cook Bacon
In a skillet over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until crispy. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
- Prepare Salad Base
In a large serving bowl, combine the cooked bacon, shredded romaine lettuce, and halved cherry tomatoes.
- Make Dressing
In a separate bowl, whisk together the ranch dressing, mayonnaise, sour cream, kosher salt, and coarse ground black pepper until well combined.
- Combine and Serve
Add the cooked and drained pasta to the bowl with the salad base. Pour the prepared dressing over the pasta salad and toss until everything is evenly coated. Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Enjoy your BLT Pasta Salad!
Can This Be Made Ahead?
Yes. If you need this recipe for a party, BBQ, or potluck, you can make things easier by prepping it in advance. That way, you won’t have to worry about making it on the day of. Start by cooking the pasta and bacon. Then whisk together the creamy dressing recipe. Once the pasta has cooled, toss it with the cherry tomatoes and half of the dressing. Store the lettuce, bacon, and the remainder of the dressing in separate airtight containers. Then mix the whole salad together right before serving.
How to Store Pasta Salad
Storing
Don’t leave this creamy macaroni salad at room temperature for more than 2 hours at a time. Cover any leftovers in plastic wrap, or transfer the BLT Pasta Salad to an airtight container to store in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Freezing
You can also carefully seal and freeze the dish in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Ideas to Serve
You can serve BLT Pasta Salad as a side dish for your favorite meals all summer long. Try tossing together the pasta salad to go with Classic Burgers, Turkey Burgers, Grilled Chicken, or Pulled Pork Sandwiches.
This BLT Pasta Salad recipe is a refreshing summer side dish to enjoy at a family reunion, BBQ, or picnic. But, you can also enjoy it as an easy lunch. Mix a big batch of pasta salad, and then divide it into serving-sized containers to enjoy as a packed lunch throughout the week.
Frequent Questions
While ranch dressing is the classic flavor for this salad, feel free to try other creamy dressings like Caesar or blue cheese dressing.
Certainly! You can customize this salad to your liking by adding ingredients like diced avocado, shredded cheese, sliced olives, or chopped green onions.
To prevent the pasta from becoming mushy, be sure to cook it just until it’s al dente or slightly firm to the bite. Additionally, rinse the cooked pasta under cold water after draining to stop the cooking process and prevent it from overcooking.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 6 slices bacon , chopped
- 2 cups romaine lettuce , shredded
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes , halved
- 1 cup ranch dressing
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
Instructions
- Boil pasta one minute shy of the instructions.
- In the meantime, cook bacon until crispy. Drain and set aside.
- Add cooled bacon, lettuce, and tomato to serving bowl.
- Mix together ranch dressing, mayonnaise, sour cream salt and pepper.
- Add the dressing to the pasta salad, mix and serve.
Notes
- Click on the yield amount to slide and change the number of servings and the recipe will automatically update!
- Click on times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer while cooking.
- To convert measurements to grams, click on the Metric option next to Ingredients in the recipe card.
Nutrition
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Variations on BLT Pasta Salad
- Vegetables: There are plenty of different kinds of veggies that you can add to this recipe. Try adding chunks of onion, bell peppers, or spinach. You can also change the type of tomato in the recipe by using grape tomatoes or a large juicy tomato cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Pasta: Instead of macaroni noodles, you can cook rotini pasta, penne, fusilli, or farfalle pasta to go in your pasta salad. Just make sure you use a shortcut type of noodle.
- Cheese: If you want to add cheese to your BLT Pasta Salad, either shredded or cubed cheese would taste great. I recommend it with cheddar cheese cubes, shredded Parmesan cheese, or cubed Monterey Jack added over the top.
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