Bold and Tangy BLT Pasta Salad

This BLT Pasta Salad recipe is just as comforting as a classic BLT sandwich with crispy bacon, juicy tomatoes, and fresh lettuce. It swaps the bread bun for tender al dente pasta and ties everything together with a creamy, flavorful ranch dressing.

It’s the ultimate crowd-pleaser for summer potlucks, backyard BBQs, or a quick, satisfying lunch.

🗝️ Recipe's key points

• This recipe for BLT pasta salad is a delicious twist on the classic BLT sandwich and much easier to serve a larger crowd.
• It’s perfect for anyone who loves the irresistible combo of crispy bacon, juicy tomatoes, and crunchy lettuce, all tossed with tender pasta and a creamy, flavorful ranch dressing.
• You can easily prep the dressing ahead of time, making it even quicker to throw together on the day - ideal for potlucks, BBQs, or make-ahead meals.

No matter the occasion, this BLT pasta salad with mayo delivers big bold flavors with minimal effort - guaranteed to disappear fast!

🛒 Ingredients

This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.

BLT Pasta Salad ingredients

• Bacon – Cook the bacon and allow it to cool before adding it to the rest of the fresh salad ingredients.
• Farfalle (Bowtie) pasta – Feel free to use another short pasta that does a good job of catching sauce, such as penne, rigatoni, fusilli, rotini, cavatappi, or macaroni.
• Romaine lettuce – A lovely crisp lettuce that provides a delicious crunchy texture to this pasta salad. Butter salad or Iceberg salad are good alternatives.
• Cherry tomatoes – Halved. You can also use grape tomatoes.
• Avocado – Use a ripe avocado, preferably without internal bruising for best presentation. You can also squeeze a little lemon or lime juice over the chopped avocado to prevent it from browning before you serve this salad.
• Croutons ( garlic and/or cheese) – Use store-bought or homemade croutons. Leave these out if you need your salad to be gluten-free.
• Red onion – Adds a little sweetness to this BLT pasta salad and won't be as overpowering as white or yellow onion.

BLT Salad dressing ingredients

• Mayonnaise – I recommend full-fat mayonnaise for the best creamy consistency and flavor. Plain Greek yogurt can be used instead, if you prefer.
• Buttermilk – If you don't have buttermilk on hand, consider making a batch from scratch. Combine 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar with enough milk to reach 1 cup, stir, and let it sit for 5–10 minutes until slightly curdled.
• Dijon mustard – This adds a tangy depth of flavor to the salad dressing and acts as an emulsifier, helping the mayonnaise and buttermilk blend smoothly.
• Ranch Dressing Mix (1 package 1.5 oz.) – Store-bought ranch dressing mix is convenient to use, although you can use homemade ranch seasoning instead.
• Fresh chives – For a delicious herbaceous flavor in the dressing.
• Black pepper – Adds a subtle heat and sharpness to the salad dressing, enhancing the overall flavor and balancing the acidity with a mild spicy kick.

🗒 Instructions

This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

🥫 Storage

Leftover BLT pasta salad with ranch can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I don't recommend freezing this dish as the pasta and fresh salad ingredients will wilt and become mushy.

📚 Variations

• To reduce the fat content in this dish, trim off any fat on the bacon or use turkey bacon instead. You can also use reduced-fat mayonnaise and reduced-fat cheese.
• Use a spicy mayo or add cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes for a kick of heat in this BLT pasta dish.
• Use a different dressing, such as Hot Honey Mustard Sauce, Cilantro Lime Sauce, or Spicy Russian Dressing.
• Feel free to use store-bought ranch dressing if you don't want to make your own salad dressing from scratch.
• Other add-ins could include chopped bell peppers, chopped celery, and diced cucumbers.
• Grilled chopped chicken can be added to this salad for a boost of protein.

👩🏻‍🍳 Tips

• Don’t let this pasta salad sit out at room temperature for longer than an hour due to the creamy mayonnaise dressing.
• This BLT pasta salad with bacon can be made 24 hours in advance. Only add the cooked bacon and crispy lettuce before serving to preserve the crunchy texture. The avocado should also only be added just before serving to prevent it from browning.
• Stored pasta salad will absorb the dressing. Mix extra creamy dressing into the BLT pasta salad before serving this salad again.
• A salad spinner is a great tool to use to remove excess water from the rinsed and chopped lettuce. Remember, excess moisture will make the pasta salad soggy.
• Chilling this pasta salad for a minimum of 2 hours so that all the flavors infuse sufficiently.
• Chop and dice the salad ingredients into similar-sized pieces. This ensures that you get a bit of everything with each bite.
• Rinsing the cooked pasta stops the pasta from cooking further and also removes excess starch so that the pasta doesn’t stick together.

📗 Related Recipes

If you love this BLT pasta salad recipe, you’ll also enjoy these other flavorful and easy-to-make pasta salad combinations:

• Tuna Pasta Salad - This chilled Tuna Pasta Salad is creamy, packed with protein and crunchy veggies. It's perfect as a hearty side or a refreshing light meal.
• Zesty Southern Shrimp Pasta Salad - This one-bowl wonder combines al dente pasta, bright lemony shrimp, crunchy snap peas, and a tangy honey mustard vinaigrette. Perfect for summer BBQs, potlucks, or lazy lunches on the porch.
• Italian Pasta Salad - The perfect potluck dish! This Italian Pasta Salad is quick and easy to make, with all your favorite Italian flavors.

🍽 What to serve with BLT Pasta Salad

Enjoy this recipe for BLT pasta salad alongside cheesy garlic bread, grilled pork or chicken kebabs, baked chicken breast, or juicy grilled steak.

This BLT pasta salad can also be enjoyed as a light snack or lunch with homemade dinner rolls and crackers.

🔪 All Our Way recommends the following

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You’ll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.

• Pasta pot or large pot with colander – To cook and drain the pasta.
• Large 12-inch skillet – To cook the bacon.
• Large Salad bowl and salad utensils
• Sharp knife – To cut and chop the salad ingredients into uniform-sized pieces.
• Cutting board – To prepare the salad ingredients.
• Dry measuring cups – Great for accurately measuring dry ingredients, such as the ranch mix and other spices.
• Liquid measuring cup – For exact measurements of liquids, such as the buttermilk.
• Measuring spoons – Good tools for a combination of both wet and dry ingredients.

📞 Chiacchierata (chat)

And there you have it, amici miei—a pasta salad that brings together all the craveable flavors of a classic BLT, but with a fun twist! I can't even count how many times I've watched folks skip the grilled burgers just to load up on this salad.

And who can blame them? That mustardy Ranch dressing clings to every farfalla and brings the smoky bacon, fresh lettuce, and sweet tomatoes together in the most delizioso way. It's the kind of insalata (salad) that works for any stagione (season), any reason—whether you're hanging out in the backyard or just craving a little sunshine in a bowl.

So grab your ciotola più grande (biggest bowl), toss it all together, and get ready for compliments. Buon appetitio, e non dimenticare di salvare un po' per te! (Happy eating, and don't forget to save a little for you!)

Tutti a tavolo, è pronto!

If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.

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