This BLT Pasta Salad features creamy dressing, crunchy bacon, crisp lettuce, and fresh tomatoes! It's a popular summer salad recipe for a backyard cookout.
The combination of creamy dressing, crunchy bacon, crisp lettuce, and fresh tomatoes is fantastic! This is going to be a popular summer salad that you will want to make again and again.
Tonia’s Notes
Our first backyard cookout is officially scheduled, and I couldn't be more excited! It is going to be filled with grilled foods, cool salads, and fresh fruits.
I am planning to bring this BLT Pasta Salad. It's easy to make, done in less than an hour, and perfect for sharing!
How To Make BLT Pasta Salad
Pasta and Bacon
Start the salad by cooking the pasta on the stovetop. Drain the cooked pasta, rinse it with cold water, drain, and transfer it to a large bowl.
While the pasta is cooking, make the bacon in the oven. Drain the bacon on paper towels, chop it up, and add it to the bowl.
Vegetables
Cut the fresh, ripe tomatoes into pieces, chop the lettuce, and slice the onions. Add all of them to the bowl.
Creamy Dressing
In a medium bowl, mix together mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, onion powder, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Transfer the dressing to the BLT pasta salad bowl.
Assembly
Mix everything together, then taste and add additional salt and pepper as needed.
Recipe Tips
- Pasta: You can use other shapes of pasta to make this salad. Just make sure you end up with about four cups of cooked pasta.
- Make Ahead: This bacon, lettuce, and tomato pasta salad can be prepared ahead of time, but keep in mind that the pasta may soak up some of the dressing during storage. So, you can keep the dressing separate until closer to serving time or add a little more dressing before serving the salad.
- Refrigerator: Store the salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. If you want to transport this salad, put it in a cooler with ice packs.
More Pasta Salads
BLT Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound bacon
- 16 oz box small pasta shells (4 cups cooked pasta)
- 4 tomatoes
- 4 cups chopped lettuce
- 1/4 cup diced green onions
Salad Dressing:
- 1 ½ cups mayonnaise
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoon salt or add more to taste
- 1 teaspoon pepper or add more to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package. Drain the cooked pasta, rinse it with cold water, and transfer it to a large bowl.
- Cook the bacon in the oven. Lay slices of bacon on a baking sheet with sides. Bake at 400˚F for 12-18 minutes or until your desired crispiness. Drain the bacon on paper towels, chop it up, and add it to the bowl.
- Next, cut the tomatoes into pieces and add them to the bowl.
- Add the salad dressing, chopped lettuce and diced green onions to the bowl.
- Mix everything together, taste and add additional salt and pepper if necessary.
Salad Dressing
- Mix all of the salad dressing ingredients together in a small bowl before adding to the pasta salad.
