BLT Pasta Salad with Herbed Mayo Dressing

bacon lettuce tomato pasta salad in a bowl

4.73 from 18 votes

BLT Pasta Salad with Herbed Mayo Dressing

This BLT pasta salad has all of the elements you love about a classic BLT sandwich, with pasta in place of bread. This easy side dish with herbed mayo dressing is packed with fresh flavors, color and texture.

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Total Time40

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 500kcal

Author: Julie Clark

Ingredients

For the salad:

1 pound bacon
1 pound radiatore pasta or other fun pasta shape
2 cups grape tomatoes halved (1 dry pint)
3/4 cup red onion
1 bunch Romaine lettuce about 2 ½ cups

For the herbed mayo:

1 1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 garlic cloves* minced
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

For topping:

1/2 cup parmesan cheese
salt to taste

Instructions

Fry the bacon in a skillet, or bake in the oven on a baking pan to fully cook the bacon. Place paper towels or napkins on a plate and place the cooked bacon on the paper towels to allow it to drain and cool. 1 pound bacon
Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside. 1 pound radiatore pasta
In a medium bowl, mix together the ingredients for the herbed mayo. Set aside. 1 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/3 cup sour cream, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 2 garlic cloves*, 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
Prepare the salad by placing the cooled pasta, bacon, grape tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes), red onion and herbed mayo in a large bowl. Mix well to coat the ingredients. 2 cups grape tomatoes, 3/4 cup red onion,
If you are serving the salad right away, add the lettuce and mix. If you are not serving the salad right away, cover it and refrigerate. Then add the lettuce right before serving. 1 bunch Romaine lettuce
Top the salad with parmesan and salt to taste. A note about the salt...bacon is salty, so go easy on the salt until you taste the salad. Serve cold. 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, salt

Video

Notes

Don't have garlic cloves? Try adding 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 teaspoon minced garlic.
An easy alternative to the herbed mayo is a creamy ranch dressing.
Store this BLT pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Pasta salad does not freeze well so if you just have a few to serve, make 1/2 a recipe.
Make Ahead Pasta Salad: If you need to make BLT pasta salad in advance, make the pasta and cook the bacon, then mix up the dressing. Store each part of the salad in different airtight containers and combine it together just before serving.
Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.

The calories shown are based on the recipe serving 12, with 1 serving being 1/12 of the salad. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**

Nutrition