BLT Pasta Salad

Take your BLT game to a whole new level with this BLT Pasta Salad – It’s always a potluck favorite!

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Besides… if it has bacon it has to be good, am I right?

You just can’t go wrong with tender pasta coated with creamy ranch dressing tossed with crispy bacon, lettuce, tomato, red onion, parsley and seasonings.

The ingredients needed for this recipe couldn’t be any simpler.  You can use store-bought dressing or make your own homemade ranch dressing.

Can I make this ahead of time?

I recommend serving this immediately so that the bacon and lettuce do not get soggy while refrigerating.

A work-around would be to make the pasta salad without the bacon and lettuce, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, then toss in the bacon and lettuce just before serving.

Although this makes an incredible side dish, I sometimes eat a big bowl of this as a satisfying meal since it has meat, veggies and pasta.  I like to use bow tie pasta, but pretty much any type of pasta will do.

How many will this recipe feed?

This recipe feeds a good crowd!  I measured this to be right around 12 cups, so it’s perfect for potlucks and cookouts.  The number of servings will totally depend on your guests’ appetites.

Enjoy! 

Originally published June 23, 2016.  Republished with new photographs and slight revision of recipe on April 6, 2019.

BLT Pasta Salad

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• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: Approximately 12 cups 1x
• Category: Pasta
• Method: Boil
• Cuisine: American
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Ingredients

• 1 (12-ounce) package bow tie pasta
• 1–1/3 cups ranch dressing
• 1 pound lean bacon, fried until crispy, then diced or crumbled (about 2 cups)
• 3 cups roughly chopped romaine lettuce
• 2 cups seeded and diced Roma tomatoes (about 4)
• 1 cup chopped red onion
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (more or less, to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper (more or less, to taste)

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Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water.
2. Place cooked pasta in a large bowl.  Pour ranch dressing over pasta and stir to coat evenly.  Add remaining ingredients and toss to combine.*

Notes

* If making ahead, prepare the pasta salad without the bacon and lettuce, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, then toss in the bacon and lettuce just before serving.

1 cup3843.7 g582.2 mg26.9 g25.9 g9.3 g31.1 mg