Description
A refreshing and flavorful BLT Pasta Salad combining crispy bacon, fresh vegetables, tender rotini pasta, and a creamy homemade ranch dressing. Perfect for picnics, potlucks, or a quick light meal.
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 (measured after it’s cubed)
- 2 cups romaine lettuce cut or torn into bite size pieces (measured after it’s in pieces)
- 1 avocado cut into small pieces
- 1½ cups cherry tomatoes cut in half (measured after 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 dry Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix, mayonnaise, and sour cream. Use a whisk to mix together until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
- Cook the Pasta: Cook rotini pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process and cool the pasta. Drain again thoroughly and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Combine Salad Ingredients: Add the cooked and chopped bacon, finely diced red onion, cheddar cheese cubes, avocado pieces, halved cherry tomatoes, chopped parsley, and romaine lettuce to the bowl with pasta.
- Toss with Dressing: Pour the chilled dressing over the salad ingredients. Use tongs to gently toss the salad until everything is evenly coated with dressing.
- Serve: Serve the BLT pasta salad immediately for the freshest texture and flavor.
Notes
- The romaine lettuce does not save well in this salad. It’s best to serve immediately or add the lettuce and dressing just before serving.
- If you have leftovers, store the salad in a tightly sealed container and consume within 24 hours.
- This recipe yields a large bowl of salad. Halve the ingredients if serving a smaller group.
- You can shred the cheddar cheese instead of cubing it if preferred.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg
