BLT Pasta Salad

BLT Pasta Salad comes together quickly! Your favorite pasta tossed in a combination of ranch and Italian dressings, with crisp bacon, and fresh ingredients like green onion, tomatoes, and lettuce make this delicious pasta salad unlike any other! Enjoy that classic sandwich flavor in a pasta salad!

Every year for the Super Bowl we go to my Brother and Sister In Law’s house to watch the game.  One year, she decided to have a “Souper-Salad Bowl” theme. 

I brought one of my family’s favorite soups,  Copy Cat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana, a crockpot full of Reuben Dip, and I made this BLT Pasta Salad recipe for the first time.  The bowl was empty at the end of the night and I considered that a win for my team! I have been making it ever since.

It’s easy to toss together and I think the thing I liked about this one was that it had crisp romaine lettuce in it.  I liked the freshness that it gave.

Want other fresh salad recipes to try? Try my Grilled Chicken Waldorf Salad or my Southwestern Salad with Chipotle Ranch Dressing & Crispy Steak Strips!

WHAT IS BACON LETTUCE TOMATO PASTA SALAD?

Creamy BLT pasta salad is typically served with ingredients you would find on a classic BLT sandwich such as bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, and creamy mayonnaise in the form of ranch dressing.

This dish is made with simple, easy-to-find ingredients that can easily be switched out, depending on taste or preference.

Any type of short pasta will work for this salad such as bowtie, elbow macaroni, or any other smaller pasta you may have. Mixing different types of pasta works well for pasta salads as it gives it an added texture and a great look.

Looking for more pasta dishes to make at home? Try my Smoked Salmon Pasta, Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake or Crab and Shrimp Pasta!

INGREDIENTS FOR BACON PASTA SALAD

This recipe uses a handful of simple ingredients that you may already have in the refrigerator or pantry! For the full measurements, scroll down to the recipe card.

• Rotini Pasta: This recipe is super versatile and can use any type of short pasta. I chose Rotini because it gives a great chewy texture balance to the dish. Feel free to try a gluten-free option if you prefer.
• Ranch Dressing: Perfectly balancing the tang from the Italian dressing, mixing in a ranch dressing adds a lovely creaminess to the pasta salad.
• Italian Dressing: This zesty, tangy dressing gets its flavor from bold ingredients like red wine vinegar, raw garlic and lemon juice.
• Bacon: For this recipe, I recommend frying the bacon until crispy and then crumbing it to add an extra bit of flavor and texture. Leave out the bacon to make a meatless version. Using packaged real bacon bits instead of frying your own is also an option but making your own has a better taste.
• Grape Tomatoes: These tiny tomatoes tend to be easier to slice and toss around in this pasta salad. If you don’t have grape tomatoes, then any type of tomato from the vine will work.
• Romaine Lettuce: Romaine or Arugula lettuce is preferred as they both give a crisp, fresh taste to the salad.
• Green Onions: The milder onion taste of a slender green onion makes it a perfect addition to many salads as it will not be overpowering.
• Salt & Pepper: Added to taste.

HOW TO MAKE PASTA SALAD WITH ITALIAN DRESSING

My recipe for pasta salad with ranch and Italian dressing is super easy to prepare! To see even more detailed steps, please scroll down to the recipe card.

CRUMBLE

Fry bacon, and remove excess grease by laying on a paper towel. Then, crumble or cut the bacon into small pieces.

PREP

Prepare Pasta, drain and rinse in cold water.

MIX

Whisk two dressings together.

TOSS

Toss Pasta with dressings to mix thoroughly.

SERVE

 Next, fold in the tomatoes, bacon, onion and lettuce. Serve immediately or chill until needed. Enjoy!

Love it? Pin it!

Don’t forget where you found this flavorful salad recipe! Pin it to your favorite recipe board on Pinterest before you go!

OTHER PASTA RECIPES TO ENJOY

• Creamy Baked Chicken Pasta with Bacon
• Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps
• Lemon Basil Pasta
• Antipasto Pasta Salad
• Easy French Vinaigrette Pasta Salad
• Creamy Italian Four Bean Pasta Salad
• BLT Pasta
• Creamy Bacon & Ranch Pasta Salad
• Pasta Salad

Let’s mix up a big bowl of this BLT Pasta Salad, shall we?

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4.70 from 13 votes

Print Recipe

BLT Pasta Salad

Pasta tossed in a combination of ranch and Italian dressings, tossed with crisp bacon, and fresh ingredients like green onion, tomatoes and lettuce make this delicious pasta salad unlike any other! Enjoy that classic sandwich flavor in a pasta salad!

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time12 minutes mins

Total Time17 minutes mins

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bacon lettuce and tomato, best pasta salad, BLT Pasta Salad, pasta salad, Romaine lettuce, salad recipes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 467kcal

Author: Michaela Kenkel

Equipment

• 3 Piece Wooden Salad Set
• 12-Piece Black Sharp Knife Set with Covers, Cutting Board and Sharpener

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• 12 ounce package of Rotini Pasta
• 2/3 cup bottled ranch dressing
• 1/2 cup bottled Italian dressing
• 1 pound bacon fried until crispy and then crumbled
• 2 cups sliced grape tomatoes
• 10 leaves Romaine lettuce washed, dried and chopped
• Tops of 4 green onions sliced
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions

• Fry bacon, remove excess grease by laying on a paper towel, cut or crumble into small pieces.
• Prepare the pasta, drain and rinse in cold water.
• Whisk the two dressings together.
• Toss pasta with dressings, fold in remaining ingredients.
• Serve immediately or chill until needed.

Notes

Store leftovers in the fridge, covered for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 467kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 22g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 1324mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g

This recipe was originally posted on February 18, 2015. It has been updated to improve user experience and re-shared on May 17, 2022.