BLT Pasta Salad takes all the best flavors of a classic BLT and combines them with bowtie pasta for an easy-to-eat meal, perfect for a summer cookout. The homemade ranch takes this salad to the next level!
The 5th installment of my Summer Salad series is a creative twist on a BLT. With mini bowtie pasta, grape tomatoes, beef bacon, and chopped spinach leaves - all tossed in a savory homemade ranch dressing, this dish won't last long in your fridge!
The Coined Breakdown
- Total Cost per serving: $1.14
- Total Cost (about 6 servings): $6.83
- Those Other Guys: $7.99 per serving
Ingredients
- Bow Tie Pasta - Although you certainly can use any pasta shape of your choice... I just think the mini bow ties are so cute!
- Beef Bacon - With my household not eating pork, beef bacon has been a savior. Turkey bacon just doesn't crisp up well enough for me. You can sub for your favorite type of bacon if you prefer.
- Grape Tomatoes - Grab the variety colored pack for a splash of fun.
- Fresh Spinach Leaves - Be sure to remove the stems! Spinach will hold up in a hearty dressing much better than iceberg or butter lettuce, which is the usual BLT green. You can also substitute this with kale.
- Homemade Ranch - My high-protein homemade ranch dip takes seconds to put together. I usually thin it out with a bit of pasta water for this recipe so it distributes more evenly.
Variations and Substitutions
Other Mix-Ins: You can add chopped avocado, toasted sourdough breadcrumbs, or crumbled goat cheese to this pasta salad. For the avocado, I recommend stirring in right before serving.
Fried Green Tomato BLT: Want an elevated version of the real sandwich? My Fried Green Tomato BLT has a fantastic balance of flavors and textures packed between two soft pieces of sourdough!
How to Make a BLT Pasta Salad Right at Home
Like most pasta salads, this doesn't take much effort to make. You're only cooking the bacon and the pasta; then the rest of the recipe is just assembly.
- Start by cooking your beef bacon until crispy. Remove excess grease, and chop into crumbles.
- While the bacon is cooking in the oven, cook your pasta for 6 minutes. Reserve a bit of the pasta water, then drain and cool the pasta using an ice bath.
- Slice up your grape tomatoes and spinach leaves. Be sure to remove the stems from the spinach!
- Stir together your ingredients for the homemade ranch. If needed, use the pasta water - a little at a time - to thin it out.
- Toss the cooked pasta and half of the ranch in a large salad bowl.
- Add in the remaining ingredients and seasonings, then toss again.
- Finally, stir the remaining ranch into the pasta salad (or reserve it for right before serving).
- You can serve this immediately, or make it a day ahead. That's it!
Coined Cuisine's Summer Salad Series
Every year, I try to do a miniseries that's geared towards the current season to give inspiration and ideas on fun kitchen projects. To catch up on those you've missed, try my Popsicle series or Puff Pastry series from prior years.
For summer 2024, it's all about Summer Salads! This roundup is filled with delicious, summer-themed side dishes that you can bring to the cookout or enjoy at your own backyard BBQ. I linked the entire series below; so it's easy to browse and try them all.
- The Best Broccoli Salad
- Italian Orzo Pasta Salad
- Southern-Style Potato Salad
- Classic Coleslaw with Mayo
- BLT Pasta Salad (see below!)
Recipe FAQs
Avocado, feta/goat cheese, diced cucumbers, pickled relish, or red onions are all great additions to a BLT pasta salad.
You can also serve toasted slices of sourdough on the side.
This salad gets even better after the flavors marinate in the fridge for a bit!
You can assemble everything up to 1 day ahead. The pasta will absorb some of the dressing in the fridge, so you may need to add a bit more just before serving. Or, simply serve extra ranch on the side so each person can dress their own plate.
Other Summer BBQ Recipes You'll Love!
If you tried this BLT Pasta Salad Recipe, or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you! Thanks for visiting!
BLT Pasta Salad
Equipment
- Sheet Pan
- Aluminum Foil
- Paper Towels
- Large Pot
- Strainer
- Chef's Knife
- Salad Bowl for serving
Ingredients
- 6 slices beef bacon
- 12 ounces mini bow-tie pasta
- 6 ounces multicolor grape tomatoes
- 1.5 ounces fresh spinach leaves stems removed
- ¾ cup ranch dressing
- 1 teaspoon salt (plus more for boiling)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Add your beef bacon slices to a foil-lined pan.6 slices beef bacon
- Place the pan in a cold oven and set the temperature to 390℉. Cook for 12 - 15 minutes, or until crispy.
- Remove the pan and transfer the bacon onto paper towels to drain excess grease. Crumble bacon slices into small pieces.
- In the meantime, fill a large pot with water and a generous amount of salt.
- Bring the pot to a rolling boil, then cook the pasta for 6 minutes.12 ounces mini bow-tie pasta
- Reserve ⅓ cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta.Add the pasta to an ice bath to completely cool. Drain again and set aside.
- Rinse and slice your grape tomatoes into fourths.Roll up the fresh spinach leaves, then slice into thin ribbons using a knife.6 ounces multicolor grape tomatoes, 1.5 ounces fresh spinach leaves
- Finally, mix the ranch with the pasta water, a little at a time, to thin it out. You may not use all of the water!¾ cup ranch dressing
- Add the cooked pasta to a large salad bowl. Toss with about half of the ranch dressing.
- Pour in the crumbled bacon, sliced tomatoes, and spinach.Season with salt, black pepper, oregano, and garlic powder.1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon oregano, ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Toss once more with the remaining dressing until everything is combined.
- Serve as is, or let the pasta salad marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? Let me know what you think!