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Inspired by the classic sandwich recipe, you need just 7 ingredients and 20 minutes to add this easy BLT Pasta Salad to your potluck menu. Try it for brown bag lunches and picnics, too.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Bowtie pasta: If desired, swap in another sturdy small- or medium-cut noodle like cavatappi, rotini, orecchiette, malfalda, or radiatore.
- Ranch dressing: Use a cup from a bottle of store-bought salad dressing or make your own homemade ranch dressing by whisking together ½ cup buttermilk, ½ cup mayonnaise, 6 tablespoons sour cream, 1 tablespoon minced red onion, 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill, 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley, 1 minced clove of garlic, 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, a pinch of sugar, and salt and pepper to taste (I like ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper). For Bacon-Ranch Dressing, mix in 2 tablespoons of chopped cooked bacon.
- Cooked bacon: For the crispiest results, I suggest baking it on a wire rack-topped sheet pan in the oven (400 degrees for 10-15 minutes). Alternatively, you can fry bacon in a skillet on the stovetop.
Step-by-step instructions
- Bring 4 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and rinse pasta under cold water until cool. Shake out any excess water.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together ranch dressing, mayonnaise, and red wine vinegar. In a large bowl, toss together pasta, tomatoes, bacon and lettuce. Stir in mayonnaise dressing until thoroughly combined.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. Taste for seasoning. If you don’t season with sufficiently, this dish might taste bland.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes 8 (1-cup) servings (2 quarts total).
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: The dressing can be made the day before and stored covered in the refrigerator. The pasta can be cooked, drained, rinsed, and cooled up to 1 day in advance. The vegetables can be prepped 1 day in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
- Pasta rinsing: It’s important to rinse noodles for pasta salad to ensure they don’t get gummy or stick together when serving chilled or at room temperature. You’ll also see this rinsing technique used in my Italian Pasta Salad, Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad, California Pasta Salad, and Easy Cold Pasta Salad.
- More mix-ins: Get creative with diced cucumbers, cubes of cheese, diced avocado, or your favorite fresh herbs (fresh dill or chives would be amazing here).
Ranch Dressing
This made-from-scratch Ranch Dressing is thick, creamy, and packed with fresh herbs, just the way you and your vegetables want it. It’s perfect for dipping, dressing, and tossing! Homemade Ranch is really easy to make.…
View Recipe
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BLT Pasta Salad
Inspired by the classic sandwich recipe, you need just 7 ingredients and 20 minutes to add this easy BLT Pasta Salad to your potluck menu. Try it for brown bag lunches and picnics, too.
Ingredients
- 1 pound bowtie pasta (see note 1)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup ranch dressing (see note 2)
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 cup grape tomatoes halved, about 7 ounces
- 4 ounces cooked bacon crumbled (see note 3)
- 1 heart romaine lettuce chopped
Instructions
- Bring 4 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and rinse pasta under cold water until cool. Shake out any excess water.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together ranch dressing, mayonnaise, and red wine vinegar.
- In a large bowl, toss together pasta, tomatoes, bacon and lettuce. Stir in dressing until thoroughly combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Taste for seasoning. If you don't season with sufficiently, this dish might taste bland.
Notes
- Bowtie pasta: If desired, swap in another sturdy small- or medium-cut noodle like cavatappi, rotini, orecchiette, malfalda, or radiatore.
- Ranch dressing: Use a cup from a bottle of store-bought salad dressing or make your own homemade ranch dressing by whisking together ½ cup buttermilk, ½ cup mayonnaise, 6 tablespoons sour cream, 1 tablespoon minced red onion, 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill, 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley, 1 minced clove of garlic, 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, a pinch of sugar, and salt and pepper to taste (I like ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper). For Bacon-Ranch Dressing, mix in 2 tablespoons of chopped cooked bacon.
- Cooked bacon: For the crispiest results, I suggest baking it on a wire rack-topped sheet pan in the oven (400 degrees for 10-15 minutes). Alternatively, you can fry bacon in a skillet on the stovetop.
- Yield: This recipe makes 8 (1-cup) servings (2 quarts total).
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: The dressing can be made the day before and stored covered in the refrigerator. The pasta can be cooked, drained, rinsed, and cooled up to 1 day in advance. The vegetables can be prepped 1 day in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
- Pasta rinsing: It’s important to rinse noodles for pasta salad to ensure they don’t get gummy or stick together when serving chilled or at room temperature. You’ll also see this rinsing technique used in my Italian Pasta Salad, Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad, California Pasta Salad, and Easy Cold Pasta Salad.
- More mix-ins: Get creative with diced cucumbers, cubes of cheese, diced avocado, or your favorite fresh herbs (fresh dill or chives would be amazing here).
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupCalories: 617kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 13gFat: 42gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 22gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 754mgPotassium: 269mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 201IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 27mgIron: 1mg
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
A family favorite for sure! Great for gatherings and summer meals . Our family eats this all year round and never have any leftovers
What happened to your BLT Pasta salad made with peas instead of lettuce & no avocado? I made it a few times & had saved the link but now the link takes me to a different version of a BLT Pasta salad? It even discussed how the green peas mimic the lettuce as lettuce can get wilted & doesn’t stand up & I agree with that. I searched your site for the version I prefer but can’t find it?? HELP!!!
Hi Julie Anne, I’m so sorry about that. I emailed you the PDF of the original recipe that you used to make (the OG BLT pasta salad). I changed it because I had too many complaints and I didn’t know anyone who made it ACTUALLY liked it! Ha ha!
Just for reference, here it is. Thank you for your comment! -Meggan
BLT Pasta Salad
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound mini shells or other small pasta
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 cup grape tomatoes halved
1 cup frozen peas thawed
4 ounces bacon fried, drained, and crumbled
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Bring 4 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until tender, about 8 to 10
minutes.
2. Drain and rinse pasta under cold water until cool. Shake out any excess water.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together mayonnaise and red wine vinegar. In a large bowl, toss
together pasta, tomatoes, peas, and bacon. Stir in mayonnaise dressing until thoroughly combined.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper. TASTE for seasoning. If you don’t season with sufficiently, this dish
might taste bland.
Thank you!!!!! I went to do the same thing and found it changed! Thanks for asking, and thanks for putting in comments!
Love it! I was able to make it vegan by using veganaise, soy bacon bits, and to give it added protein, chickpea noodles. My non-vegan family members loved it too!
Love this recipe, perfect for a get together.
My family loved it!
Amazing! Thank you!
So good! Everyone loved it.
Is your site/blog still current? I’m not seeing any 2018 posts….??
Hi Lori, if you go to the home page you should see LOADS of current posts. I publish new posts 3x-5x per week. Just go to http://www.culinaryhill.com and you’ll see what I mean. I put up 5 new posts, just this week. Sorry for the confusion!
Oh wow this looks fabulous!! I’m always looking for new takes on classics, and this sounds perfect. My husband would just love it! Thanks!!!
Magnificent web site. Lots of useful info here.
I’m sending it to several friends ans additionally sharing in delicious.
And obviously, thank you on your effort!