BLT Pasta Salad turns a classically perfect flavor combo into a fun summer dish that everyone will rave about! Crispy bacon, lettuce, tomato, and rotini pasta are tossed in a creamy homemade dressing to create a flavor combo that you will not be able to get enough of.
This easy pasta salad recipe is great for any cookout or even as a lunch or light summer meal! Using homemade dressing makes this recipe next level!
I am sort of known as the pasta salad queen when it comes to cookouts, barbecues, or potlucks. I will almost always be bringing along a delicious cold pasta salad with me, whether it is a Italian Pasta Salad or a tangy Greek pasta salad!
When I created this BLT pasta salad recipe, I knew I was onto something. It was the first thing gone at our last barbecue and my family requested it again within the same week! I love using rotini pasta in this recipe, because the yummy dressing sneaks into the crevices. BLT bow tie pasta salad or even BLT tortellini salad (using cheese filled tortellini) are also great options if you feel like changing things up a little bit!
The pasta salad dressing for this recipe is a combination of ranch and mayonnaise. The ranch adds flavor while the mayonnaise makes it nice and creamy! While you can use a bottled ranch dressing, as with most recipe homemade tastes best so I always use a quick batch of my fave homemade ranch dressing. A few extra minutes but definitely worth the time!
This makes it the absolute perfect side dish, because you can easily make it ahead of time and bring it with you!
More Pasta Salads You Need In Your Life
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- Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad
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- Mexican Pasta Salad
- Dill Pickle Pasta Salad – Reader favorite!
- Creamy Cucumber Pasta Salad – Make ahead.
What To Put in Pasta Salad
This BLT pasta salad is seriously the bomb dot com. Not only are the classic BLT ingredients all there, but the addition of fresh avocados, cheddar cheese, and red onions really turns this into a legendary pasta salad recipe!
All pasta salads are super versatile, meaning you can add or remove just about anything you’d like. If you don’t eat pork, I have had success subbing the bacon out with turkey bacon in this BLT pasta salad. If you have produce you need to use up, peppers, carrots, celery, and onions all make great additions. The options are endless here! If you’re missing the bread from your favorite BLT sandwich, toss in a handful of croutons!
Just keep in mind that if you are adding any protein to your pasta salad, it will not last as long as if you omit it. Chicken will only last a couple days in the fridge, and bacon only lasts about 3. If you plan on making BLT pasta salad in advance, I would suggest making it within a day prior to the potluck or barbecue you plan to bring it to!
Ingredients
- 10 slices bacon cooked and crumbled, grease reserved
- 12 ounces rotini or penne, cooked and cooled
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¾ cup ranch dressing
- 1 ½ cups diced fresh tomatoes
- ½ avocado diced
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ⅓ cup diced red onion
- 1 cup chopped romaine lettuce
- chopped fresh parsley for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Whisk together mayonnaise, ranch dressing and 1 tablespoon bacon grease (optional).
- In a large bowl assemble the pasta, tomatoes, avocado, cheese, red onion, lettuce and bacon.
- Pour the dressing over and toss to combine.
- Garnish with parsley and serve.
Video
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Main Course
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I’ve made this at least a 1/2 dozen times since you first posted it! Obviously we love it! Serving it tomorrow at a (Marvel) birthday party. We’ve added diced jalapeños and/or serranos, to kick up the heat, otherwise, we make it as you listed it. Thanks for sharing such a great recipe.
Adding peppers sounds like a delicious spin Rayetta! I hope your party guests love it too!
Just tried this recipe, and let me tell you…… DELISH!!!! Will be making this ALL summer long!!! Thank you for sharing:)
I am so glad you liked the pasta salad Elizabeth!
Can’t wait to try your recipes every recipes looks so delicious
I hope you enjoy them all Blanca!
The romaine is not soggy the next day? I was thinking of making the salad one day before and then tossing in the romaine just before serving. Thoughts?
I would suggest exactly as you mentioned. Just add the lettuce before serving.
This was so easy and tasted wonderful. I added a can of canned chicken and some dill weed to the dressing.
That sounds deilcious!
Looks super yummy, can’t wait to try. Is the 502 calories for the whole bowl? Or per individual serving?
Nutritional information is per serving Jennifer. Enjoy!
The dressing needed a little something…I added about 1/4 cup of sweet and spicy bbq sauce when I was tossing the salad…it was delicious…I took it to a family reunion and everyone raves about it…this recipe is a keeper…
Yummy addition, thank you for sharing!
Made this tonight, hubby and I loved it! I used a lot more than 1 cup of Romaine and omitted the onions, as my stomach will not tolerate uncooked! Very nice twist on plain ole pasta salad, thanks so much!
So glad that you two loved it Claudea!
can you subsitue the avacado for green peppers?
I think that would work if you prefer! Let us know how it turns out for you Lolela!
Could I use baby spinach instead if romaine?
I think spinach would be delicious in this recipe!
Just what I’ve been looking for. Amazing! Thanks for sharing!
You’re so welcome Pamela! Thank you for stopping by!
I made this last week and really enjoyed it. I didn’t have an avocado, so put in green pepper. All I had was elbow macaroni, so used that. I decided to not add the lettuce, as I knew there would be leftovers (lettuce can be added to your plate when serving)
I found the flavour was even better the next day. I will make it again
So glad you enjoyed it Kathryn!
I found it a little bland – could use more favor.
Does the lettuce get “wilty” or slimy (for lack of better term) if I make it a day ahead? Sounds delicious!!
Fresh and crisp lettuce should last. You could also keep the dressing aside and add it immediately before serving.
Could Miracle Whip be substituted for mayonnaise? Thank You
It would change the taste a little, but would be delicious too Elaine!
Needs some fresh ground black and green peppercorns and using feta cheese crumbles would “kick it up” a bit over just plain old shredded cheddar.
I would love feta in this, great idea! Thanks for sharing!
What other creamy salad dressings could you use instead of the ranch?
Any other creamy dressing would work. I usually make my own ranch (so you can leave out the ingredients you don’t want to include). Here is my homemade ranch dressing or avocado dressing.
Maybe cucumber dressing?
That’d be good too Shelley!
I took this BLT salad to a family get togeather and everyone loved it.My only question was can I add the homemade dressing ahead of time? I didn’t . I took it with me and added it just before serving.How long would it keep with the dressing added ? Thanks for sharing.
You could make it a day ahead I’d say Millie, but I’d prefer to do as you did and add dressing immediately before serving. Give it a toss before serving if you do dress it earlier. Let us know how it goes for you!
Hi! I made the homemade ranch dressing included in the BLT Pasta recipe. This recipe included mayonnaise. I noticed that then when I made the BLT Pasta recipe, it called for 1/2 cup of mayonnaise. Do I add this 1/2 cup more to the dressing? I wasn’t sure if it was too much mayonnaise. I did add the 1/2 cup and it was delicious. Thank you!
Yes, you add both the ranch and the mayo for this pasta salad.
Look delicious! Thoughts on using plain Greek yogurt instead of mayo??
I have only tried as written, but think that would work! Let us know how it works out for you!
I never make comments on recipe posts but I have to on this one!!! I made this tonight for my family! It is to-die-for!!! How can you go wrong with bacon and avocado with pasta?! (I usually never change up a recipe the first time making it but I did use the whole avocado since my family loves avocados!) Thank you sooo much for sharing an INCREDIBLE recipe!!! I will make this again and again!
Thank you so much for commenting Kirk! I appreciate it :) And I’m SO happy to hear your family loved this salad!