An easy and unique pasta salad, this BLT pasta salad is made with plenty of bacon, lettuce, and tomatoes and covered with a mayo based dressing.
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BLT Pasta Salad Is a Perfect Picnic Dish.
This BLT pasta salad is one of my all time favorite easy picnic recipes. I always transport it in this stainless steel spill proof lidded mixing bowl because I can make it, store it, and transport it right in the same bowl (which means less dishes!)
We bring this recipe to meet friends at the brewery for trivia nights and with the kids to the playground in the summer.
BLT pasta salad brings me back to warmer (better) days without fail, and even if it’s not summer when you’re reading this and the best tomatoes you can get your hands on are of the supermarket variety, this salad does not disappoint.
It’s an explosion of flavor, and a new twist on your classic BLT sandwich.
There’s No Need To Cook Bacon!
Like the sandwich, it’s quite simple to make, so simple that we don’t even have to cook bacon. We just use Real Bacon Pieces sold with salad toppings at the store (not the artificial kind though! Those will get soggy!). That makes this salad super easy to whip up and if you happen to have extra time and want to make bacon from scratch- go for it. But I’ve had it both ways and never think it’s worth the extra effort to fry bacon for this- it’s still delicious with a jar of bacon pieces.
Not sure where to find real bacon pieces? This is what the Great Value brand looks like (they can be found at all Walmart stores). But they aren’t hard to find- they’re usually with the salad toppings (like imitation bacon bits and spices) or near the pepperoni.
Start With Tomatoes.
If you can pick your own, all the better, but these little beauties above are from the supermarket, so store-bought works just fine.
Grape tomatoes are great because they can be quickly and easily sliced in half, but if you can’t find them, Romas will work just fine, sliced into bite-sized pieces.
Chop Your Lettuce.
You’ll need 3-4 cups of chopped Romaine lettuce. I buy it and cut it myself because it’s cheaper, but it obviously takes a little more time. If you don’t mind spending a few extra pennies, you can buy a 10-oz bag of pre-cut, pre-washed lettuce.
If you opt to cut your own, make sure to pat it dry with paper towels before adding it to your salad.
Now that you’ve prepped your produce, prepare your pasta according to the instructions on the box. I used “Gemelli” shaped pasta because I liked the way it looked, but rotini or even macaroni noodles would work just as well.
Prepare The Dressing While Pasta Boils.
Now, if you don’t want to make your own dressing, you can absolutely substitute one cup of Ranch dressing instead.
This dressing is very easy to make, though, and you probably have everything you need handy.
It’s made of a mayonnaise base, amped up with a touch of sour cream, and then seasoned with salt, pepper, and other spices.
It’s a lot better than plain ranch and worth the minute it takes to mix up.
Stir it up nicely and set aside.
Once your pasta is done boiling, strain it well. Now, you are going to need a large bowl to combine your ingredients.
Lettuce (patted dry), grape tomatoes (sliced in half), cooked pasta, a simple homemade dressing, and cheddar cheese all go into the bowl.
But don’t forget about possibly the most important part — the BACON.
You can fry your own bacon, pat it dry, and crumble it. You would need about 12 or so pieces for this BLT pasta salad.
Or, you can do what I do, and buy pre-cooked, crumbled bacon.
Not artificially flavored bacon bits, but real bacon bits or pieces. You can find them right by the salad dressing (the brand that I used for this particular recipe was Hormel). You can do pieces or bits (just smaller pieces), whichever you prefer, but while I used the pieces for the photographs here, I actually think I preferred the bits — smaller pieces of bacon, but more in every bite — your choice!
Once you’ve got everything in the same bowl, mix it well and serve it up!
Keep any uneaten salad (unlikely!) refrigerated in an airtight container.
- For the Dressing:
- ¾ cup mayo (I prefer to use olive oil mayo to cut some fat & calories)
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 Tablespoon milk
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper -- optional
- For the Salad:
- 8 oz spiral pasta
- 3-4 cups chopped romaine lettuce (or 10-oz package pre-cut romaine lettuce)
- 1 pint grape tomatoes -- halved
- 1 ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 ½ cup bacon bits or pieces (not artificially flavored -- about 6 oz)
- INSTRUCTIONS
- Prepare the dressing by stirring together mayo, sour cream, milk, pepper, salt, garlic powder and crushed red pepper (if using) until smooth and well-combined. Set aside.
- Prepare pasta according to package instructions. When finished cooking, drain well and transfer to a large salad bowl.
- Add chopped lettuce, grape tomatoes, cheddar cheese, bacon bits/pieces, and your prepared dressing.
- Toss/stir very well, until ingredients are well-combined.
- Enjoy!
Get The Dinner Inspiration Binder Free!
Before you grab the 15 Minute BLT Pasta Salad Recipe, you can also grab our Dinner Inspiration Binder for FREE right now– which includes tons of cheap and easy meal ideas for people who get easily overwhelmed with meal planning and cooking. 90% of our meals come right from this binder and it’s made meal planning so simple because it includes all of the “typical” easy meals and you can just throw in a few new things when you have extra time.
Get your copy of the Dinner Inspiration Binder While it’s still free here…
15 Minute BLT Pasta Salad
INGREDIENTS
For the Dressing:
- ¾ cup mayo (I prefer to use olive oil mayo to cut some fat & calories)
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 Tablespoon milk
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper — optional
For the Salad:
- 8 oz spiral pasta
- 3-4 cups chopped romaine lettuce (or 10-oz package pre-cut romaine lettuce)
- 1 pint grape tomatoes — halved
- 1 ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 ½ cup bacon bits or pieces (not artificially flavored — about 6 oz)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Prepare the dressing by stirring together mayo, sour cream, milk, pepper, salt, garlic powder and crushed red pepper (if using) until smooth and well-combined. Set aside.
- Prepare pasta according to package instructions. When finished cooking, drain well and transfer to a large salad bowl.
- Add chopped lettuce, grape tomatoes, cheddar cheese, bacon bits/pieces, and your prepared dressing.
- Toss/stir very well, until ingredients are well-combined.
- Enjoy!
Did you try it? What did you think?
2pots2cook says
Love your ideas ! Thank you so much !
Micaela Jensen says
I made this recipe last Sunday and it was a hit not a spec was left! I used iceberg lettuce and just bottled Ranch dressing but next time I’d like to make the dressing I just didn’t have all the ingredients…thank you
Chris says
Can you use another lettuce in place of the romaine?
May Posse says
I used iceberg and made little bowls on their plates for them to serve the salad in. And I had no cheddar so put feta and they loved it.😊😋
Mary Janes says
I simply added several spices to French and Sundried tomato dressings and a little real mayo. Add some finely chopped cherry tomatoes, small cubes of smoked ham and small cubes of sharp cheddar cheese..Fold all gently together and keep in fridge for several hours . Well chilled helps enhance the flavours nicely. “Yummy” indeed :
The Busy Budgeter says
That sounds wonderful! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Holly says
I’m not usually a pasta salad fan but this looks exceptional!
Heather says
Yum! This sounds delicious! I have been experimenting with avocado mayo recently…have you every tried using it?
Tom Torres says
Ill definitely be taking this on my next hunting trip!
Charlee says
We just ate this for lunch and everyone enjoyed it (even my 3 1/2 year old and 5 year old)! I made the pasta, cooked the bacon, shredded the cheese, and threw together the sauce on Sunday so all I had to do today was halve the tomatoes and add the lettuce. I highly recommend using spinach if you don’t have romaine on hand. Also, keep the lettuce completely out if you think you might have leftovers. Each person can put a bit of spinach on their plate first and then scoop some pasta salad onto it.
The Busy Budgeter says
That’s awesome! Thank you for sharing 🙂
JOY says
Could I substitute plain Greek yogurt for the sour cream in the dressing?
Sarah says
Yes! I’ve only ever used plain geek yogurt and it’s delicious.
Kathy says
I am making for a ladies craft day, and I plan to add grilled chicken to make it more hearty. Love the idea of the spinach and wait to add it and the lettuce till later.Thanks!
The Busy Budgeter says
Glad to help! 🙂
Bonnie says
Sounds delicious! How many does this serve as a main course salad, please and thanks!
Anne says
Thanks for a great recipe…it’s my new go-to pasta salad!
Darlene Surratt says
I was at my daughter’s babysitting the grands and we had gotten all the stuff at the store to make this. Honestly, as we put it into our mouths, it was the best thing I had tasted in a long time. We were all hoping to have leftovers for the next day but that never happened. Three adults and 1-9-year old grandson ate the whole bowl. Of course I fried a whole pound of bacon in a cast iron skillet and fried it up the old fashioned way and I think that is what made it so good.. I sure wishmy husband would try new things but he is such a wus. I will be making this every chance I get!
Tezel311 says
I’ve made this salad several times now and each time everyone loves it. I recently made for my sister who is laid up with a broken leg. After one bite she declared” this my go to salad from now on”.
I’ve used the dressing recipe for fresh veggie dip also.
Thanks so much for sharing.
Laura Espinoza says
How many does this serve?
Andrea Gear says
I cannot wait to make this for my son’s college graduation party, I do however have a question does the lettuce welt up?
I want to make 2 of them in morning but party is not until afternoon. What are your thoughts?
Thank you
Holly says
I would prep everything and then just toss together right when you want to eat. I’m sure someone at the party would
Be willing to held a hand to free you up for other hosting activities!
Betty Pond says
I made this salad and I couldn’t stop eating it! So delicious and so easy to make. Thanks for the recipe.
Shelby says
Could I use rice in place of pasta?
Cat Pflueger says
I do a similar salad. Turkey club pasta salad. Yum
Kristen says
How many servings does this make?
Kay says
I threw this salad together this afternoon, I had some left over rotisserie chicken in the fridge so I added that. When I got it all mixed I added the crumbled bacon over top and also some hard boiled egg.