BLT Pasta Salad
The flavors of your favorite bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich are paired with a creamy ranch dressed and turned into pasta salad.
Servings 8
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry rotini pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 ounces cherry tomatoes halved or quartered
- ¼ cup finely diced red onion
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 pound bacon cooked until crisp and chopped
- 2 cups finely chopped romaine lettuce
For the dressing:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup milk
- 3 tablespoons homemade ranch seasoning or 1 (1-ounce) packet store-bought
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. When done, drain the pasta. Rinse with cold water, drain well, and toss with the olive oil. Set aside.1 pound dry rotini pasta, 1 tablespoon olive oil
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until smooth and well combined.1 cup mayonnaise, ½ cup milk, 3 tablespoons homemade ranch seasoning, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Add the cooked pasta, tomatoes, onion, cheese, bacon and dressing and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning, adding additional salt or pepper to taste.12 ounces cherry tomatoes, ¼ cup finely diced red onion, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1 pound bacon
- Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Just before serving, stir in the lettuce. If the dressing appears to be too thick after refrigerating, you can stir in an additional 1-2 tablespoons of milk to thin it out a bit.2 cups finely chopped romaine lettuce
Notes
Ingredients
- Any short pasta shape (farfalle, shells, etc) can be used in place of the rotini. Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions.
- To tone down the "bite" of the red onion, soak the diced onion in ice water for 15-20 minutes, then drain well before adding to the salad.
Storage
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. The tomatoes and lettuce will not stay as crisp as they were on day 1, but the pasta salad will still be delicious.
