BLT Pasta Salad is easy to make and perfect for a crowd. With simple ingredients and delicious flavors, this will win over any party guests.
I love the flavors of a BLT Sandwich so much, that I tend to turn everything BLT. BLT Chicken Salad and BLT Dip is amazing, but you will absolutely love this simple BLT Pasta Salad. It has a simple and easy-to-make dressing and all the flavors you love of the classic sandwich.
How to Make BLT Pasta Salad
Here is a brief overview of how this easy pasta salad with bacon comes together. For the full recipe including all measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Cook the pasta. Follow the directions on the package then drain and rinse with cold water.
- Prepare other ingredients. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the bacon, lettuce, green onions, and tomato for the salad.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl whisk together the yogurt, mayo, dressing, mustard, and soy sauce. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings as desired.
- Put it all together. In a very large bowl, mix the cooked pasta, bacon, tomatoes, lettuce, and green onions. Pour the dressing over top and mix to combine.
Cooking Pasta For Pasta Salad
Since pasta is the base of any pasta salad recipe, making sure it is cooked properly is a very important step. Here are a few tips for cooking pasta for pasta salad recipes.
- Use plenty of water. A pound of pasta needs four to six quarts of water to cook since it expands as it cooks.
- Add salt to the water. This is a great way to enhance the flavor of the pasta. Add a teaspoon or so of salt before adding the dry pasta.
- Bring the water to a roaring boil. Don’t add any noodles until you see large, constant bubbles.
- Drain and rinse the pasta. Since this is a cold pasta salad, we don’t want to mix hot pasta. Rinsing it with cold water stops the cooking process and won’t heat up the other ingredients.
Cutting Romaine Heads
This recipe calls for one head of Romaine lettuce. If you make this salad in advance, you will want to add the lettuce just before serving. When cutting up a head of Romaine lettuce, I like to cut the head lengthwise twice. I cut it down the middle, rotate it 90 degrees, and then cut it again. Then I like to chop it down the length.
Cooking Bacon
Crispy bacon is a key ingredient in a classic BLT sandwich and this recipe for BLT pasta salad. This recipe can be made with turkey bacon if that’s what you prefer or your family doesn’t eat pork. If I am making bacon on the stove, I like to dice it before cooking it. As soon as it starts to crisp, transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate.
You can also cook bacon in the oven or in the air fryer to avoid the grease splatter. Dice the cooked bacon once it has cooled to be added to the salad.
Air Fryer Bacon
What Pasta to Use in BLT Pasta Salad
While I used medium sized shells for this pasta salad, any short cut pasta would be great in this. Some other great options would be macaroni or elbow pasta, rotini, or roselle (wagon wheels).
Tips and Tricks
- Do not replace the yogurt with Greek yogurt. While delicious, it is too thick to work in this recipe.
- Make my homemade Italian Dressing. It is a delicious recipe and works great as one of the ingredients in the dressing for this pasta salad.
- If this salad sits out for more than an hour or two at room temperature or warmer, toss what is left for food safety purposes.
Making Ahead
This salad can be made up to a day in advance. You will want to add the lettuce just before serving. While you can add the tomatoes when you make it, you may find that you have better results if also add them just before serving.
Storing
Keep this pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. I do not recommend freezing leftovers of this salad. Always use your best judgment for storing and eating leftovers.
Other Great Pasta Salad Recipes
If you are looking for other great pasta salads, here are a few recommendations.
If you make this easy BLT pasta salad recipe or any of my other recipes, I’d love to hear what you think. Leave a comment below letting me know how you enjoyed it!
BLT Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound medium shells
- 1 pound thick-cut bacon diced and cooked
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes halved (210 grams)
- 1 head Romaine lettuce chopped
- 2 green onions sliced thin, about two inches into the green
For Dressing
- 1 1/2 cups plain low-fat yogurt see note (375 grams)
- 1/4 cup light mayonnaise (60 grams)
- 1/4 cup Italian salad dressing (59.14 ml)
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard (not ground mustard)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the other ingredients.1 pound medium shells
- In a small bowl whisk together the yogurt, mayo, dressing, mustard, and soy sauce. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings as desired.1 1/2 cups plain low-fat yogurt, 1/4 cup light mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon yellow mustard, 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1/4 cup Italian salad dressing
- In a very large bowl, mix the cooked pasta, bacon, tomatoes, lettuce, and green onions.1 pound thick-cut bacon, 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, 1 head Romaine lettuce, 2 green onions, 1 pound medium shells
- Pour the dressing over the pasta and veggies and stir to combine. Serve right away, or refrigerate and serve within 48 hours.
Notes
MELANIE says
Could I use Ranch salad dressing in place of yours? Have you tried that?
I’m sorry, I haven’t tested that.