Description
A delicious and hearty BLT Pasta Salad combining classic bacon, lettuce, and tomato flavors with creamy ranch dressing and rotini pasta. Perfect for gatherings or as a flavorful side dish, this salad is easy to prepare and ready to serve in under an hour.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta Salad Ingredients
- 1 16-ounce box Rotini Pasta cooked, drained, and rinsed with cold water
- 13 slices bacon cooked and chopped
- ½ large red onion finely diced
- 1½ cups cheddar cheese cut into cubes
- 2 cups romaine lettuce cut or torn into bite size pieces
- 1 avocado cut into small pieces
- 1½ cups cherry tomatoes cut in half
- ¼ cup parsley chopped
Dressing Ingredients
- 1 1-ounce packet Hidden Valley Dressing Mix dry
- 1½ cups mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
Instructions
- Prepare the Dressing: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the dry Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix, mayonnaise, and sour cream. Use a whisk to thoroughly blend the ingredients until smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to develop.
- Cook the Pasta: Cook the rotini pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Drain the pasta, rinse with cold water to stop cooking, and drain again. Transfer the pasta to a large mixing bowl.
- Combine Salad Ingredients: Add the cooked and chopped bacon, finely diced red onion, cubed cheddar cheese, small pieces of avocado, halved cherry tomatoes, chopped parsley, and bite-sized pieces of romaine lettuce to the bowl with the pasta.
- Toss the Salad: Pour the prepared dressing over the salad ingredients. Use tongs to gently toss everything together until the salad is well coated with the dressing.
- Serve Immediately: Serve the BLT Pasta Salad immediately for best texture, especially to enjoy the crispness of the romaine lettuce and freshness of the dressing.
Notes
- Romaine lettuce does not hold up well in this salad; serve immediately or add lettuce and dressing just before serving.
- Leftovers can be stored in a tightly sealed container for up to 24 hours in the refrigerator, but the salad is best eaten fresh.
- This recipe yields a large bowl of salad; reduce ingredient quantities by half for smaller servings.
- Cheddar cheese can be shredded instead of cubed based on personal preference.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
