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BLT Pasta Salad has all the flavor of summer’s favorite sandwich in a delicious & easy pasta salad! We’re tossing pasta with juicy cherry tomatoes, crisp bacon, fresh lettuce, and a creamy honey mustard mayo dressing that’s practically drinkable! Add grilled chicken to bulk this into an easy main dish and watch it fly off plates.
Why you’ll love this BLT Pasta Salad:
- Packed with Flavor – This salad is packed with flavor from the fresh veggies, crisp bacon, and easy dressing!
- Easy Recipe – This easy recipe comes together quickly, with minimal work. If you can slice tomatoes, chop lettuce, cook pasta, and shake up a dressing you can make this!
- Creamy Mayo Dressing – Let’s take a moment for that dressing – it’s made with mayonnaise, olive oil, vinegar, honey mustard, maple syrup, basil, and oregano – and it’s probably the most delicious dressing you’ll ever taste!
- Make it a Meal – Add a few grilled chicken breasts (sliced up) to take this from a side to a main dish! (Then serve my Sugar Cookie Fruit Pizza or S’mores Cookies for dessert!)
Ingredient Overview:
As always, the full recipe with measurements & directions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Use the table of contents (back at the top, below the first image, to navigate).
- Pasta – Use any shape of pasta you like! I like bowtie or rotini for a fun shape.
- Dressing – The dressing (inspired by the dressing from my Cobb Salad) is made from pantry staples like mayo (yes you can use light mayo!), olive oil, honey mustard, maple syrup, and dried basil and oregano.
- Bacon – Use your favorite bacon. Usinger’s is my favorite (my Milwaukee/WI people know!!). I recommend cooking bacon in the oven on a foil-lined pan to eliminate the mess of frying it on the stovetop. If the package doesn’t have oven directions, start with 8-10 minutes at 375, adding time from there until desired crispiness is reached. I like mine on the crispy side – it’s the perfect texture for this salad!
- Cherry Tomatoes – Use halved cherry tomatoes. You can also use diced roma or beefsteak tomatoes in a pinch, but I think cherry tomatoes hold up best here.
- Lettuce – I prefer romaine lettuce here. Be sure to rinse it, then pat dry, and chop it up before adding it. You can also buy pre-chopped!
Recipe Substitutions & Variations:
- Gluten-free – Use your favorite gluten-free pasta to make this recipe gluten-free!
- Dairy-free – This recipe is naturally dairy-free!
- Extras – Feel free to add in extra chopped veggies if you like – diced avocado, cucumber, carrots, and bell peppers are all delicious! Use up whatever veggies you have in the fridge, or have them on the side for folks to add to their servings. You can also add bite-sized pieces of grilled chicken to bulk this up into a main dish.
How to Make this BLT Pasta Salad Recipe:
Step 1: Cook the Bacon. Cook bacon according to package directions. I recommend using your oven to eliminate any mess and turn this into an easy hands-off step! I usually start with 10 minutes at 375F, adding time as needed until it’s a little crispy.
Step 2: Make the Dressing. Shake up the mayonnaise, honey mustard, olive oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, vinegar, dried basil & oregano, and salt in a jar.
Taste and adjust if desired (if you find it a bit too sharp, add more mayo or maple syrup, or if you find it too sweet, add a hint more lemon or vinegar).
Step 2: Cook your Pasta. Cook 1 pound of pasta in salted water. Use 1 tbsp of salt in about 5-6 quarts of water (I never measure the water, I just fill a large dutch oven and then add 1 tbsp of salt). When the pasta is ready, reserve a bit of pasta water, then drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Stir in the dressing and a little pasta water, to help the sauce coat the pasta.
Step 3: Add Mix-Ins. Stir in the sliced cherry tomatoes and crisp bacon pieces.
Step 4: Toppings. Add grilled chicken to the whole pot, if desired. Once the pasta has cooled a bit (you can speed this in the fridge), add the chopped lettuce.
Serving + Storing:
Once you’ve added everything, serve! If you want this to be an entirely cold dish, pop it in the fridge to cool it down (before adding the lettuce!), and then add any veggies just before serving. Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Try my Italian Pasta Salad, next time!
Expert Cooking Tips for BLT Pasta Salad:
- Don’t Rinse Pasta – Don’t rinse your pasta! The pasta has starch which helps our dressing stick to the noodles. If you rinse the pasta, you’ll rinse that away which we do not want.
- Avoid Wilted Lettuce – Add the lettuce once the pasta salad has cooled, and/or just before serving to avoid it wilting.
- Extra Mix-Ins – Serve with additional mix-ins on the side, for guests to add on their own. Diced avocado or cucumber, shredded carrot, lettuce, and grilled chicken are all great options!
FAQs:
Yes, you can do either! If you want to double it, I hope you have a massive pot to make it in and a massive serving bowl, haha!
You sure can! Use your favorite meatless bacon.
Absolutely. If doing this, I recommend keeping the lettuce and any other veggiesw out entirely and just adding it to each portion when you’re ready to eat it, as the lettuce will begin to wilt when mixed in with the other ingredients and stored for a few days in the fridge.
Special Tools:
- Dutch Oven – I use my dutch oven for so many recipes! It’s an essential kitchen item in my opinion.
More Summertime Recipes to Love:
- Blender Peach Mango Salsa
- Peach Panzanella Salad
- Easy Margherita Flatbread
- Roasted Corn, Tomato, & Zucchini Medley
- Strawberry Cucumber Salad
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BLT Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the Pasta Salad
- 8 to 10 slices bacon
- 1 lb pasta, use your favorite variety
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes, rinsed & halved
- 1 head romaine lettuce, rinsed & chopped
For the Dressing
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise, Light or regular are both fine!
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp honey mustard
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
Optional Extras
- 1-2 medium avocados, diced
- 1-2 large cucumbers, diced
- 2 lbs grilled chicken, sliced, Add this to bulk this recipe into more of a meal than a side!
Instructions
- Prep: Get your bacon going first. I like to cook it in the oven to eliminate a greasy mess. Follow package directions or add strips on a foil lined baking sheet and start at 375℉ for 8-10 minutes. Add 1-2 minutes at a time until desired crispness is reached. Place bacon on a paper-towel lined plate with a paper towel on top to soak up the excess grease. Once cooled enough to handle, cut the pieces into small chunks. Set aside.8 to 10 slices bacon
- Pasta: Once your bacon is going, start on the pasta. Fill a large dutch oven or pasta pot (something large enough to hold the pasta plus the other ingredients, as we'll build the salad in here for now) with 5-6 quarts of water and add 1 tbsp of salt. Bring to a boil, then add your pasta and cook according to package directions. Make sure to stir occasionally, as pasta will stick to the bottom of the pot while it cooks. Once done, reserve about 1/2 cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Do not rinse the pasta! (This can prevent the sauce from adhering to it.)1 lb pasta, use your favorite variety
- Make the Dressing. While the pasta and bacon cook, add all dressing ingredients to a mason jar. With the lid securely fastened, shake well until combined. Taste and adjust as desired. If it's too tart, add a bit more maple syrup and mayo. If it's too sweet, add a bit more lemon juice or vinegar. You get the idea.1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 2 tbsp maple syrup, 2 tbsp honey mustard, 1 tbsp white vinegar, 2-3 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp dried basil
- Assemble: Pour the dressing over the strained pasta, and stir to combine well. Add a few splashes of pasta water if desired, to help make the dressing saucier. Stir in the halved cherry tomatoes and bacon pieces. Stir in the cooked chicken if using. Now, you'll want to let the pasta cool down before stirring in avocado, lettuce, or any other veggies – especially the lettuce, because it gets icky and wilty when hot. You can pop the pot in the fridge to help cool things down. Once cooled down, add the lettuce and avocado. Or, if you're serving it immediately, people can add the lettuce & avocado to their portions as they serve themselves. Tip: Sometimes I double the sauce!2 pints cherry tomatoes, rinsed & halved, 1 head romaine lettuce, rinsed & chopped, 1-2 medium avocados, diced, 2 lbs grilled chicken, sliced, 1-2 large cucumbers, diced
- Serve & Store: If assembling to serve later in the day, I would wait and add the lettuce just before serving or taking it to your party, so it stays super fresh. If serving right away, see direction above. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Meal Prep Tip: If making this for yourself to have for meals throughout the week, keep the lettuce separate and add it to each individual portion, so it doesn't get all wilty. This also gives you the option to warm up your portions, and then add the lettuce. Or, you can enjoy it cold! It's delicious either way.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Dressing is amazing and this recipe works both hot and cold as well! I wait to add the lettuce til I’m ready to eat it so it stays crispy. And if I heat it up I do that before adding it into the mix. SO GOOD, and so versatile because you can add in any kind of toppings you want
So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Melanie!
Salad dressing is a perfect match for the flavors in this pasta salad!
Thanks, Melanie!
Very versatile recipe! The options to add into the pasta salad are endless and the dressing is just absolute perfection !
So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Melanie! I agree – it’s so versatile! I’ve been having it for lunch this week with sliced grilled chicken breast and sautéed zucchini mixed in.
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