BLT pasta salad (Printable Version)

Pasta tossed with crispy bacon, cherry tomatoes, lettuce, and creamy dressing for fresh summer meals.

# What You 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

# How To Make:

01 - Boil the pasta in salted water according to package directions until al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
02 - Cook diced bacon in a skillet over medium heat until golden and crisp, approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
03 - Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl; whisk until smooth.
04 - In a large bowl, mix the cooled pasta, cherry tomatoes, romaine lettuce, red onion, avocado if using, and cooked bacon.
05 - Drizzle 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 before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like your favorite sandwich but in a bowl you can take anywhere.
  • The bacon stays crispy even after mixing, which feels like a small miracle.
  • You can prep everything ahead and toss it together right before serving.
  • It works as a side or a full meal depending on how hungry everyone is.
02 -
  • Rinse the pasta under cold water after draining or it will clump together and absorb all the dressing before you even mix it in.
  • Add the lettuce and avocado just before serving if you're making this ahead, otherwise they'll wilt and brown.
  • Don't skip draining the bacon on paper towels, the extra grease will make the salad oily instead of creamy.
03 -
  • Use cold pasta when mixing so the dressing doesn't slide off or get absorbed too quickly.
  • Taste the dressing before adding it to the salad and adjust the lemon juice or mustard to your liking.
  • If the salad looks dry after sitting in the fridge, stir in a spoonful of mayo or a squeeze of lemon juice to bring it back to life.
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