BLT Pasta Salad (Printable version)

Delicious pasta tossed with bacon, cherry tomatoes, lettuce, and a creamy tangy dressing.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 10 oz short pasta (rotini, penne, or fusilli)

→ Bacon

02 - 7 oz streaky bacon, diced

→ Vegetables

03 - 7 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 3.5 oz romaine lettuce, chopped
05 - 1 small red onion, finely diced
06 - 1 avocado, diced (optional)

→ Dressing

07 - ½ cup mayonnaise
08 - ¼ cup sour cream
09 - 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
10 - 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
11 - 1 garlic clove, minced
12 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

13 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives or parsley

# Directions:

01 - Boil the pasta in salted water until al dente, drain, rinse under cold water, and set aside.
02 - Cook diced bacon in a skillet over medium heat until golden and crispy, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
03 - Whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
04 - In a large bowl, mix cooled pasta, cherry tomatoes, romaine lettuce, red onion, avocado (if using), and bacon.
05 - Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss to coat evenly.
06 - Sprinkle chopped chives or parsley on top. Serve immediately or chill up to 2 hours.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like comfort and summer in one bowl, with that perfect bacon-to-lettuce ratio that keeps people reaching for seconds.
  • You can throw it together in less than forty minutes, and it gets better as it sits, making it ideal for prep-ahead gatherings.
  • The creamy dressing clings to every piece of pasta without making the salad soggy—something I learned only after a few watery disasters.
02 -
  • Never add the dressing more than an hour before serving if you want the lettuce to stay crisp—the acid softens it beautifully at first, then too quickly turns it mushy.
  • Taste the dressing before it meets the pasta; cold ingredients mute flavors, so season it a touch more generously than you think you need to.
  • Cold pasta is essential—if you skip the rinse and chill step, the warm pasta will absorb all the dressing and the salad becomes a thick, heavy mass instead of a light, dressed dish.
03 -
  • Make the dressing the night before and let it meld in the refrigerator—it develops a rounder flavor than freshly made dressing, and it saves you time on the day of serving.
  • If you're serving this at a potluck and worried about transport, pack the dressing separately and dress the salad just before serving so it stays fresh and composed the entire time you're there.
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