Creamy BLT Pasta Salad Recipe (2024)

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By Lauren on May 27, 2021 | Updated February 20, 2022 | Rate Recipe

BLT pasta salad is your favorite sandwich turned into an amazing side dish. BLT pasta salad is the perfect cold pasta salad recipe that is loaded with crunchy bacon, crisp lettuce tomatoes, and ranch dressing for an easy to make creamy pasta salad that is perfect for summer time! With simple ingredients, this pasta salad recipe takes classic BLT ingredients and turns them into an amazing pasta salad.

BLT Pasta Salad

I love easy recipes during the summer months and as you can tell by the recent posts and the ones coming up we love pasta salads! They are so easy to make and they are perfect side dishes for all of our grilling recipes. To avoid having to cook a lot during the week on the weekends I make a few different pasta salad and potato salad dishes for us to enjoy with dinner each night. Making a few different ones gives us variety and everyone has a salad they love.

I love anything BLT from the classic BLT sandwiches to BLT Salad and BLT Lettuce wraps and with summer coming I knew that I needed to come up with a BLT pasta salad recipe that we could enjoy. This ranch BLT pasta salad recipe is loaded with crispy bacon, fresh lettuce and diced tomatoes for the perfect summer pasta salad. My whole family loves this easy pasta salad recipe and I am sure your family will too!

This creamy pasta salad is perfect for pairing with all of your favorite summer bbq recipes. If you are looking for meal ideas, there are many amazing grilling recipes likeGrilled Steak,shish kabobs,grilled chicken,grilled salmon, hot dogs, sausage, and hamburgers (especially the amazingHawaiian burgermy family loves so much!) to pair withsummer side dishes.

This easy BLT Pasta Salad Recipe is going to be your favorite cold summer pasta salad that you make this summer. If you are looking for a delicious pasta salad then this is a must to add to your list. If you love pasta salad and are looking for the best ones to bring to a summer bbq then make sure to check out some of our other amazing pasta salad recipes.

Easy Pasta Salad Recipes

• Chickpea pasta Salad
• Egg Salad Pasta Salad
• Tahini Pasta Salad
• Tuna Pasta Salad Recipe
• Italian Pasta Salad
• Sun dried tomato pasta salad
• Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Salad

BLT Pasta Salad Ingredients

Pasta. The most important ingredient for this recipe is pasta and a shortcut of pasta like rotini pasta, fusilli, penne, or farfalle works best. You can use any type of pasta, whole wheat, gluten-free or plant-based pasta to make this pasta salad.

Bacon. I use pork bacon but if you want to use turkey bacon you can. It is important that the bacon is crispy. You can cook the bacon with your prefered methos but I love making Air fryer bacon.

Tomatoes. I used cherry tomatoes, but you can use grape tomatoes, beefsteak tomatoes diced, what you have on hand. If you are using large tomatoes be sure to dice them.

Romaine lettuce. I like romaine lettuce but you can use other types of lettuce, if you are looking for a time saver grab a bag of shredded lettuce.

Ranch Dressing. I like hidden valley ranch, but you can also use homemade ranch dressing or your favorite brand.

Tips and Variations

Make the bacon crispy. I find this pasta salad is best when the bacon is crispy. You can cook the bacon by your preferred method, however I love air fried bacon.

Add the lettuce when you are ready to serve. Lettuce wilts when it is mixed with liquids like the ranch dressing, I suggest adding the lettuce in when you are serving.

Add more Veggies. If you want to add more veggies to this cold pasta salad recipe cucumbers, bell peppers, red onion and black olives are great additions. Avocado is also amazing to add to this BLT Pasta salad.

Cook pasta till al dente. You want to cook the pasta to al dente and then drain it and rinse it with cold water before mixing the pasta salad ingredients in.

Add cheese. I love adding shredded cheddar cheese to this pasta salad!

Add Chicken. If you are wanting this cold pasta salad to be a full meal adding some cooked chicken is a greatt addition.

Can I make this ahead of time?

Things are always so busy in my house that having things done ahead of time makes my life so much easier. That is why I meal plan and prep ahead of time often. The great thing about this BLT pasta salad is that I can make it ahead of time and have it for dinner a few nights in a row as a side dish. It also makes a great lunch too! The only thing I suggest is that you leave out the lettuce until you are going to eat it because it will wilt when stored.

How to store Pasta salad?

While this pasta salad is best served on the same day you make it you can store it to enjoy later or store leftovers. This pasta salad recipe needs to be stored in the fridge and is best stored in an air-tight container. You can use a bowl and plastic wrap but I find an air-tight container like these is best. This pasta salad will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

BLT Pasta Salad Ingredients

• Pasta
• Romaine lettuce, chopped
• Cherry tomatoes, halved
• Bacon, cooked and crumbled
• Ranch dressing
• Salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste

How to Make BLT Pasta Salad

Cook pasta according to directions on the box for al dente, drain the pasta and then rinse under cold water. While the pasta is cooking cook the bacon, wash, and chop the tomatoes and lettuce.

After cooking the bacon until it is crispy, allow it to cool and then crumble the bacon.

Once the pasta is cooked and cooled pour into a large mixing bowl. Then add the lettuce, tomatoes, and bacon and mix well.

Pour the ranch dressing over the top and toss until combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Easy Summer Recipes

• Chicken Taco Salad
• Grilled Green Beans
• Grilled Corn on the Cob
• Chicken Cobb Salad
• Oreo Milkshake
• Ratatouille Recipe
• Homemade Lemonade