This BLT pasta salad recipe boasts soft and tender pasta generously coated in creamy coleslaw dressing and mixed together with juicy tomatoes, crispy bacon, lettuce, and crunchy shallots! Always the perfect side dish!
Next time try this Classic Macaroni Salad Recipe!
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Why you'll love this recipe
This salad I perfect for your next potluck and all those summer picnics! So grab the hot dogs and make this creamy pasta salad recipe!
- It's such an easy recipe made with simple ingredients that you already have in the pantry and fridge. A real crowd-pleaser, this is a recipe the whole family will enjoy.
- You'll love this creamy, crunchy, delicious BLT pasta salad recipe, it's a great side dish!
- Just like your favorite blt sandwiches, this yummy pasta salad will be a family favorite!
Ingredients
You'll need classic blt ingredients. Please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for the exact measurements.
- pasta - this recipe uses rotini pasta, but you can use bow tie pasta, elbow macaroni or penne pasta, really any small pasta you have available.
- sweet fresh cherry tomatoes - though you can also use grape or diced tomatoes as well.
- shallots, red onion or thinly sliced green onions
- crispy, crumbled salty bacon - I prefer a good smoky bacon, but you can substitute turkey bacon if you'd prefer.
- crunchy, fresh lettuce - romaine, iceberg, or red leaf lettuce or baby spinach is also delicious!
- olive oil and seasoning salt
- coleslaw, poppyseed dressing or creamy ranch dressing
Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. For the complete directions just scroll down to the bottom!
- Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water to al dente. Drain well. Transfer pasta to a large bowl and sprinkle with one teaspoon olive oil and one teaspoon seasoning salt and mix well - refrigerate until completely chilled.
- In a large skillet, cook bacon until crispy. Drain well on paper towels and crumble. Add crunchy bacon to the pasta.
- Chop tomatoes, shallot, and romaine lettuce. Add to the cooked pasta and toss well to combine.
- Add about one cup of salad dressing and mix well. Refrigerate until well chilled. Before serving mix again and if the BLT macaroni salad seems dry, add a bit more creamy dressing.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Serving spoon
FAQ's
Yes, this can be made the day before! Boil the pasta, drain and chill. Cook the bacon, chop the shallots and tomatoes, and make the homemade dressing. Store them in separate containers in the refrigerator. Assemble the ingredients and toss the salad!
BLT is short for Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato. The combination of these three ingredients originates from the famous BLT sandwich although combination has now been adopted into many different recipes, including this easy macaroni salad recipe.
Absolutely! Simply use gluten-free pasta. The rest of the ingredients are already gluten-free!
Chilling the salad helps the dressing and all the flavors of the ingredients infuse well, intensifying the taste of this delicious dish!
Tips
- Don't overcook the pasta.
- Drain hot pasta well and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Chill the pasta completely before adding dressing. If the pasta is hot, it will absorb the dressing and get mushy!
- Serve the salad chilled. Give it a stir before serving. Add additional salad dressing if necessary.
Variations
- Use your favorite short pasta - macaroni, bow tie, rotini, penne, or fusilli.
- For a low-carb option, ditch the pasta altogether and enjoy a BLT salad with additional lettuce and other favorite leafy greens.
- Create a BLT coleslaw side dish by omitting the pasta and lettuce and instead using a bag of coleslaw mix.
- The addition of fresh avocados and cubed cheddar cheese would be amazing!
As you can see, it doesn't take much - bacon, lettuce, tomato, shallots - I also recommend a homemade poppy seed salad dressing. But if you use store-bought…I won't tell! 😋 It will be your favorite summer salad!
Either coleslaw or poppyseed dressings are recommended for this recipe.
Storage
Refrigerate: Store BLT pasta salad recipe in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. The fresh salad ingredients will wilt and become soggy if stored longer.
Freezer: I do not recommend freezing this salad.
Related recipes
Here are more great side dishes and easy recipes.
- Southern Style Ham Macaroni Salad - a super creamy macaroni salad.
- Italian Bowtie Pasta Salad, or Chicken Caesar Pasta, are easy pasta salads, just to name a few!
And if BLT pasta is more your thing, this BLT Spaghetti Carbonara is a great example of how you can mix and match ingredients to your heart's desire.
Serve with
This easy pasta salad recipe is satisfying enough to be enjoyed as a main dish on its own but it also makes are great side dish! Serve it with these yummy recipes -
Instant Pot Corn on the Cob and homemade rolls makes great side dishes for your meal!
Don't forget to check out my Amazon storefront for some of my favorite products! 🛍️
You can enjoy this as a main dish or one of your favorite side dishes! But first you have to give it a try and tell me what you think. Leave a comment below, ok? Thanks!
Creamy BLT Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 16 oz box of pasta
- 1 pint grape tomatoes halved
- 1 shallot chopped
- 8 strips bacon cooked until crispy and crumbled
- 1 head romaine lettuce chopped
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
- 1 cup coleslaw dressing
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions (aldente). Drain well. Rinse with cold water. Transfer pasta to a large bowl and sprinkle with one teaspoon olive oil and one teaspoon seasoning salt and mix well - refrigerate until completely chilled.
- Cook bacon until crispy. Drain well and crumble. Add the crispy bacon pieces to the pasta.
- Chop tomatoes, shallot, and romaine lettuce. Add to the pasta and toss well to combine.
- Add about one cup of salad dressing and mix well. Refrigerate until well chilled. Before serving mix again and if the pasta salad seems dry, add a bit more salad dressing.
Lois says
We really enjoy this salad. So you. Will be a treat at any gathering. Love it