30-Minute BLT Pasta Salad

from 2 votes

Your favorite sandwich is about to become your favorite salad with a flavor-packed recipe for BLT Pasta Salad made with a garlicky vinaigrette.

30-Minute BLT Pasta Salad in a large white serving bowl next to wooden serving spoons

There’s just something special about pasta salad. If you’re looking for me at a barbecue, you can find me in line for seconds of whatever creamy or vinegary pasta salad is on the menu. So many flavor combinations and opportunities, pasta really is the ideal canvas for whatever you’re craving.

And this week, I was craving a BLT. You know the one, packed with thick slices of red tomatoes and salty bacon. But something was missing. Something… zippy? A little sweet? So off to the drawing board I went, with pasta salad as my trusty base. And I found what was missing: a garlicky lemon dressing to balance all those fresh flavors, becoming this deliciously bright, yet rich BLT Pasta Salad.

Olive oil in a glass measuring cup being poured into a clear bowl containing red wine vinegar and fresh lemon juice

What Dressing to Put On Pasta Salad

When it comes to dressing up your pasta, there are typically two divided camps: Do you go with a creamy mayo or yogurt-based dressing, or with a bright, vinegary dressing? I love a creamier salad, which is why I always have my top-rated Caesar Pasta Salad in the rotation!

For this BLT salad, since we are using crispy, salty bacon, I opted for a lighter vinegar-based dressing to cut through all the richness. The lemony dressing coats the bits of croutons just right and reminds me of Panzanella (Italian bread salad). All you need are classic pantry staples: red wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic and honey. Drizzle in olive oil until it’s emulsified and you’ll be ready to dress up your salad!

A top-down view of a clear bowl containing chopped bacon, lettuce, halved cherry tomatoes, croutons and rotini

What to Serve with BLT Salad

This salad is a favorite side dish of mine to bring along to potlucks and barbecues, but it becomes a solid main course topped with grilled chicken, shrimp or even alongside meatballs. You really can’t go wrong whichever way you go, but I love serving these with skewers of Glazed Honey Garlic Shrimp or Honey Balsamic Baked Chicken Thighs.

A close-up view of BLT pasta salad tossed in a red wine vinaigrette

How to Store Pasta Salad

In the off-chance you happen to have leftovers, you’re in luck. Pasta salad only gets better as the dressing marinates each part of this delicious BLT salad. So whether you’re making it ahead of time or want to know how to safely store it for tomorrow’s lunch, vinegar-based salads are still delicious 3 to 4 days after they’re prepared. If you opt for a creamier dressing, you’ll want to serve it closer to when you want to enjoy it as it’ll stay fresh in the fridge for about 2 days.

To maximize freshness, store it in an airtight container in the fridge. If possible, keep any super-absorbent ingredients like cheeses, croutons and nuts separate from the tossed salad to prevent them from getting soggy.

A large white serving bowl containing BLT Pasta Salad starring chopped bacon, halved cherry tomatoes, lettuce and rotini noodles
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Main Course

30-Minute BLT Pasta Salad

Your favorite sandwich is about to become your favorite salad with a flavor-packed recipe for BLT Pasta Salad made with a garlicky vinaigrette.
Author: Kelly Senyei
5 from 2 votes
30-Minute BLT Pasta Salad in a large white serving bowl next to wooden serving spoons
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 27 minutes
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients 

For the dressing:

  • 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

For the salad:

  • 16 oz. uncooked short pasta, such as rotini, penne or farfalle
  • 1 (12-oz.) package bacon, cooked and crumbled 
  • 3 cups chopped Romaine or arugula
  • 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
  • 1 1/2 cups croutons 
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons chopped fresh chives 

Instructions 

Make the dressing:

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic and honey. While whisking, stream in the olive oil and continue whisking until emulsified. Taste and season the dressing with salt and pepper then set it aside.

Make the salad:

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain the pasta and transfer it to a large bowl.
  • To the bowl with the pasta, add the bacon, Romaine, cherry tomatoes, croutons and chives. Toss to combine then drizzle with the dressing and toss again.
  • Serve room temp or chilled.
  • ★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!

Nutrition

Calories: 507kcal, Carbohydrates: 51g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 27g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 14g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 28mg, Sodium: 331mg, Potassium: 353mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 1758IU, Vitamin C: 10mg, Calcium: 31mg, Iron: 2mg

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  1. 5 stars
    This is really good! Perfect to take to a cookout where it can sit at room temperature. The only thing I would suggest is to cook your pasta in advance to let it cool down….and after tossing all the ingredients, let it sit for 30 minutes to an hour so all the flavors can mingle. I found it just got better sitting on the counter