BLT Pasta Salad

BLT Pasta Salad has all the flavours of the classic sandwich tossed with pasta and a creamy garlic and herb dressing. Easy and tasty – makes an excellent transportable lunch too!

Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato

BLT is a classic. Crispy, savoury bacon with sweet, juicy tomatoes and fresh, crunchy lettuce. I do love a traditional BLT sandwich on toasted sourdough with a slathering of mayo (I also LOVE it on a bagel with garlic & herb cream cheese). But tossing the key ingredients with some cooked pasta makes it even better!

If you like the sound of your favorite sandwich being turned into a pasta salad then you need to try this Grinder Pasta Salad.

Pasta Salad

I love pasta salad for easy (and transportable) lunches, as well as BBQs, picnics and potlucks. This is my husband’s current favourite work lunch, so I like to make a big batch for him every week – it’s great to grab and go in the morning!

BLT Pasta Salad will store well in the fridge for up to 3 days, though the chopped lettuce will go soggy. If you are making ahead, I find it best to keep the lettuce separate and mix through when ready to serve.

How to Cook PERFECT Crispy Bacon

Bacon is obviously the key ingredient for this BLT salad – you want it to be nice and crispy but not burned.

My secret to perfectly crispy bacon is to OVEN COOK your bacon! Simply line a baking tray or cookie sheet with some greaseproof or baking paper (don’t use foil) and lay out your streaky bacon rashers (this won’t work as well with back bacon).

Place the tray in the middle of a COLD oven, turn the heat to 200c/180fan/400f/gas 6 and cook the bacon for about 20-25 minutes, or until your desired crispness. That’s it! Perfect crispy bacon every time.

BLT Pasta Salad Ingredients and Substitutions

• Pasta – Any short shapes will work. I love fusilli but penne, farfalle and macaroni are all great.
• Bacon – Streaky bacon works best – see my method above for the best crispy bacon. You could also use turkey bacon or a vegetarian or vegan bacon substitute.
• Tomatoes – I love sweet little cherry tomatoes on the vine. You can use your favourite kind – whatever you usually enjoy to eat in a salad.
• Red onion – I love the tangy crunch of onion in my salad, but you can leave it out if you prefer.
• Lettuce – I prefer romaine or little gem, but most leafy greens work well. Try bulking it up with some spinach or kale to make the salad go further.
• Mozzarella – an optional extra. I love adding fresh mozzarella cheese to salads but you can easily omit it or swap in some grated cheddar or Monterey Jack. Crumbled feta or blue cheese would also add a nice tang.
• Fresh Chives – optional, great for garnishing. Diced spring onions are a great alternative or fresh chopped parsley.
• Creamy Garlic Dressing – a mix of mayonnaise, greek yoghurt, herbs and garlic powder. You can swap the mayonnaise for more greek yoghurt or sour cream if you prefer.

More quick and easy salad recipes:

• Chicken Sweetcorn Pasta Salad
• Blackberry Basil Chicken Salad
• Caesar Salad with Easy Homemade Dressing
• Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Dressing
• The Best Chopped Salad
• Buffalo Chicken Caesar Salad
• Chicken Bacon Caesar Pasta Salad

BLT Pasta Salad

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BLT Pasta Salad has all the flavours of the classic sandwich tossed with pasta and a creamy garlic and herb dressing. Easy and tasty – makes an excellent transportable lunch too!

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

• 350 grams (0.77 lb) short pasta shapes like fusilli, farfalle or macaroni
• 8 slices streaky bacon
• 200 grams (7.05 oz) cherry or grape tomatoes sliced in half
• 1 red onion sliced
• 1 head romaine lettuce chopped
• 125 grams (4.41 oz) mozzarella optional
• Fresh chopped chives to garnish

Creamy Garlic & Herb Dressing

• 4 tbsp greek yoghurt
• 4 tbsp mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp lemon juice or white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp fresh chopped chives or 1 tbsp dried
• 2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley or 1 tbsp dried
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

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• To cook the bacon, line a baking tray with greaseproof or baking paper and lay the bacon rashers on top.
• Place the tray in the middle of a COLD oven, turn the heat to 200c/180fan/400f/gas 6 and cook the bacon for about 20-25 minutes, or until your desired crispness.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the pasta to packet instructions. Drain and rinse well with cold water to cool.
• While the bacon and pasta are cooking, make the dressing. Simply add all the ingredients to a small bowl or jug and whisk to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• When the bacon is cooked, chop it up into bite sized pieces.
• Add the cooked pasta, chopped bacon, sliced onions and tomatoes and chopped lettuce to a large bowl.
• If using, drain the mozzarella ball and chop or tear into pieces before adding to the bowl. Pour over the dressing and toss everything together.
• Garnish with some fresh chopped chives to serve.

Notes

This pasta salad will store in the fridge for 3 days. If you are making in advance I would recommend adding the lettuce when ready to serve.  

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