With sweet, cherry tomatoes, crunchy romaine, salty peppered bacon, cubed avocado, and tender pasta, all coated in a creamy healthier homemade ranch style dressing, this BLT pasta salad is an easy side for any potluck or BBQ.
I have been wanting and waiting to make this BLT Pasta Salad with creamy homemade ranch dressing for probably several years now, but for a number of reasons, it just never was the right time for it. But then last weekend, when a friend invited us over for a fish fry and to watch some football, I jumped at the chance to bring this, and the timing couldn’t have been better. My dad had just given me a huge bunch of tiny, perfectly ripe cherry and grape tomatoes leftover from his garden that were just what I needed for a dish like this.
This BLT Pasta Salad includes halved cherry or grape tomatoes for a sweet and juicy pop, lots of romaine lettuce for that healthy crunch, a bit of thinly sliced red onion (you could also substitute green onions if you prefer), and some cubed avocado, because every BLT is better with avocado. Of course, you can’t forget the bacon. We have started lightly sprinkling our bacon with pepper lately before cooking, and the peppery crumbled bacon is just what this pasta salad needs to stand up to the creamy homemade ranch dressing.
Finally, everything gets tossed with tender pasta. I love orecchiette for the fun shape, and because they are easy to eat, catching the little tomatoes halves in the little ears for a surprising juicy bite. You could also substitute any other short pasta style such as rotini, farfalle, medium shells, or cavatappi (which is my favorite noodle for clinging on to sauces like with this Pesto Pasta Salad with Corn, Avocado, and Bacon). You just want a pasta shape that is bite sized, and will hold on to the creamy dressing.
How Do You Make BLT Pasta Salad?
This BLT Pasta Salad with Healthier Ranch Dressing takes just minutes to make. I like to chop the lettuce and veggies and make the dressing while the bacon and pasta cooks, so that everything is ready to toss together as soon as the bacon and pasta is cool.
Here is what you will need:
- Bacon: Every good BLT starts with good bacon. I like to cook the bacon in the oven for perfectly crispy and evenly cooked bacon every time.
- Romaine Lettuce: It might sound weird to add lettuce to a pasta salad, but you just have to trust me on this one. Chopped romaine adds a nice crisp, crunch to this BLT Pasta Salad.
- Tomatoes: Sweet and juicy cherry or grape tomatoes are best for this pasta salad since they hold their shape well when tossed in with the pasta and creamy dressing.
- Avocado: I love the creamy, richness avocado adds to a BLT sandwich, so I had to include it in this BLT inspired pasta salad.
- Red Onion: Thinly sliced red onion adds and extra bite and crunch.
- Pasta: Use any bite sized pasta shape. I like orecchiette or medium pasta shells that will cradle the dressing and little bites of bacon and tomatoes.
This pasta salad can be made up to an hour before serving, but I recommend keeping the bacon and dressing separate, then adding these and the avocado just before serving. That way the bacon will stay crisp and the avocado won’t have time to brown. I also feel like the pasta tends to absorb too much of the dressing as it sits, which can leave the the pasta salad gummy and dry, and no body likes that.
What is in the Healthier Ranch Dressing?
A lot of BLT pasta salad recipes call for using just mayonnaise to make the homemade ranch style dressing, but I wanted to lighten things up a bit, so I substituted creamy greek yogurt for most of the mayo. The greek yogurt adds a nice creamy richness, plus it keeps the dressing a little healthier (which means we can add more bacon, right?).
I also added some garlic powder, onion powder, dried dill, fresh parsley, and just a splash of vinegar to give this BLT Pasta Salad dressing homemade ranch vibes. If you had some chives, those would be a great addition also to add some extra herbaceousness.
Looking for More Easy Side Dish Ideas?
If you are looking for more easy side dish ideas for your next BBQ or potluck, here are some quick recipes that I recommend:
- Pesto Pasta Salad with Corn, Avocado, & Bacon
- Bacon & Roasted Broccoli Caesar Salad with Bagel Croutons
- Mango Kale Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
- Avocado Lime Slaw
- Citrus Avocado Salad with Pistachios and Goat Cheese
If you make this BLT Pasta Salad with Healthy Ranch Dressing, don’t forget to comment and rate the recipe below. You can also share your photos and tag me @NamasteHomeCooking on Facebook or @NamasteHomeCooking on Instagram. I love to hear what friends think of my recipes!
BLT Pasta Salad with Creamy Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
- 6 oz bacon
- fresh cracked black pepper
- 2 ½ c uncooked orecchiette or other bite sized pasta
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes
- 3 cups romaine lettuce
- ½ red onion
- 1 avocado
Healthier Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing
- ½ c whole milk greek yogurt
- ¼ c mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried dill weed
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°
- Lay bacon out on an ovenproof wire rake placed over a baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with fresh cracked pepper. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, until desired crispiness is reached. Check every 2 – 3 minutes as it gets close to done to prevent burning.
- Cook pasta according to package directions.
- While pasta and bacon cooks, chop lettuce, halve tomatoes, thinly slice red onion, and add all to a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, make dressing by combining all ingredients. Whisk until combined.
- When pasta is cooked, rinse under cold water to cool.
- Add pasta to lettuce, tomatoes, and red onion. Pour dressing over mixture and stir to combine. Add chopped avocado and bacon, and stir once more.