BLT Pasta Salad – With Bacon!
This BLT Pasta Salad brings the flavor of a classic bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich into a creamy, satisfying pasta dish. It’s loaded with crispy bacon, fresh vegetables, and tender pasta, all tossed in a tangy dressing. It’s a go-to for cookouts, casual dinners, or meal prep.
The dressing combines mayo, sour cream, Dijon, and lemon juice for a rich, tangy base. Juicy tomatoes, crunchy romaine, and crispy bacon make each bite flavorful and textured. Chill it before serving to bring everything together—it holds up great even the next day.
Ingredients
- Dried pasta – I love using fun shapes for this salad. You can use any shape of pasta, just watch you don’t overcook it!
- Mayonnaise – For the creamiest pasta salad, use whole fat mayonnaise. I prefer cooking with avocado oil mayo, but any kind will work.
- Sour cream – For the creamiest salad, use whole fat sour cream. You can skip the sour cream and use an extra ¼ cup mayo, but I like the slight tanginess of the sour cream in this recipe
- Dijon mustard
- Lemon juice
- Garlic powder – You can use garlic salt, but then just skip the extra salt.
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Bacon – Cooked and crumbled. You can use pre-cooked or bacon crumbles, but I find that it’s just not as crispy and the crispy bacon lends such good texture.
- Grape tomatoes – Or use any kind of diced tomato.
- Romaine lettuce
- Red onion – You could use sweet onions, too.
- Parsley
How To Make BLT Pasta Salad – With Bacon!
- Cook pasta until just shy of tender (very al dente). Drain and rinse with cold water to cool and stop the cooking.
- Make the dressing by whisking mayo, sour cream, Dijon, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl until smooth.
- Combine the cooled pasta, bacon, tomatoes, lettuce, red onion, and parsley.
- Add the dressing and toss gently until everything is well coated.
- Chill the salad in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to develop.
- Serve cold and enjoy.
Step-By-Step Process
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Cook your pasta until just firm—it softens more as it sits with the dressing.
- Rinse pasta well with cold water to keep it from sticking.
- If prepping ahead, hold off on adding lettuce until just before serving for the best crunch.
- Want to switch it up? Toss in shredded cheese or sliced avocado.
Make It A Meal
BLT Pasta Salad pairs perfectly with grilled meats like burgers or barbecue chicken. Add corn on the cob or a fresh fruit salad for a simple summer spread.
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Storage
Keep leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. If the pasta soaks up the dressing, stir in a spoonful of mayo before serving. For best texture, store the lettuce separately and mix it in just before eating.
BLT Pasta Salad – With Bacon!
Ingredients
- 12 ounces dried pasta
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 8 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- 1 ½ cups grape tomatoes halved
- 2 cups romaine lettuce chopped
- ½ cup red onion finely chopped
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Cook pasta until just shy of tender (very al dente). Drain and rinse with cold water to cool and stop the cooking.
- Make the dressing by whisking mayo, sour cream, Dijon, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl until smooth.
- Combine the cooled pasta, bacon, tomatoes, lettuce, red onion, and parsley.
- Add the dressing and toss gently until everything is well coated.
- Chill the salad in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to develop.
- Serve cold and enjoy.
Notes
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Cook your pasta until just firm—it softens more as it sits with the dressing.
- Rinse pasta well with cold water to keep it from sticking.
- If prepping ahead, hold off on adding lettuce until just before serving for the best crunch.
- Want to switch it up? Toss in shredded cheese or sliced avocado.
