BLT Pasta Salad is an easy summer recipe inspired by your favorite BLT sandwich! With minimal cooking and maximum flavor, this is the best dish to bring to cookouts all summer long. It’s also gluten free, dairy free and comes together in just about 20 minutes.
BLTs are an iconic sandwich – the combination of the crunchy bacon, crisp romaine lettuce and tangy tomatoes works together better than you’d expect. This BLT Pasta Salad has all of the same amazing components and flavors of the sandwich, but swaps out the bread for pasta and gets tossed in a light ranch dressing.
Why You’ll Love this BLT Pasta Salad
- It’s a quick and balanced meal!
- This is a pasta salad recipe with no mayo.
- It requires minimal cooking.
- This is the perfect pasta salad to bring to summer BBQs and cookouts.
- This BLT Pasta Salad only takes 20 minutes to make.
- It’s gluten free, dairy free and paleo friendly.
- It uses store bought ranch dressing for extra convenience!
- It’s so flavorful and boyfriend approved.
How Easy is it to Make this BLT Pasta Salad?
Super easy! That’s what I love about pasta salads – they always require minimal cooking which is perfect when it feels to hot to turn the oven on. The only two things you have to cook for this BLT Pasta Salad are the pasta and the bacon. If you want to make life even easier, you can substitute store-bought bacon bits, although I think the homemade kind are much tastier.
The rest of the ingredients simply require some chopping! You will need to cut the cherry or grape tomatoes in half (lengthwise is recommended), thinly slice the romaine into 1/2 inch pieces, finely dice the red onion and chop up the bacon. Feel free to substitute pre-shredded romaine to save time!
The final component of this BLT Pasta Salad is the ranch dressing. I know that ranch can vary a lot from brand to brand. For this recipe specifically, I used the Primal Kitchen Ranch Dressing. I like this one because the consistency is thinner and more similar to a vinaigrette so it doesn’t weigh down the pasta salad too much. This one is made with avocado oil and simpler ingredients than the traditional ranch dressing. It is also gluten free, dairy free & paleo.
What You Need to Make BLT Pasta Salad
- Pasta: Whatever kind you prefer! I used Banza chickpea pasta which provides extra protein and fiber while keeping the recipe gluten free.
- Bacon: A key ingredient! When possible, I try to buy a brand with no added sugar like this one.
- Romaine Lettuce: Either buy a head of romaine lettuce and chop it at home or purchase it pre-shredded.
- Cherry or Grape Tomatoes
- Red Onion: I think this gives the pasta salad great flavor but if you’re not a fan, you can omit the red onion or substitute for shallots, which are more mild.
- Ranch Dressing
What Type of Pasta Should I Use?
I like to use Banza chickpea pasta because it’s gluten free and higher in both protein and fiber. This is the cavatappi shape (my absolute favorite pasta shape!) but bowties, rotini or elbows are also great options for this pasta salad recipe. The only shapes that I don’t recommend are spaghetti, linguine and fettuccine varieties.
Some other gluten free pastas that I like are the Jovial brand and Trader Joe’s Brown Rice & Quinoa Fusili. To make this recipe paleo, just be sure to use a paleo-compliant pasta like the Jovial Cassava Fusilli.
However, if you’re not gluten free, feel free to use your preferred pasta variety and brand! Cooking time will vary based on which pasta you choose, so just follow the package directions.
How Do BLT Pasta Salad Leftovers Store?
Luckily, this pasta salad stores really well for at least one day! We ate it all pretty quick, so I’m not sure if it lasts longer than that. However, if you want to make this more than one day ahead of time (for meal prep perhaps), I would recommend storing the lettuce separately to prevent it from getting soggy. Then, when you are ready to eat, add in your thinly sliced romaine and toss to combine.
Find the full recipe below. As always, please let me know if you tried it by commenting below or tagging me on Instagram, @munchinwithmaddie_.
Looking for more salad recipes?
- Thai Quinoa Salad (Gluten Free & Vegan)
- Copycat Sweetgreen Crispy Rice Bowl
- Mexican Street Corn Rice Salad
- Heirloom Burrata Caprese Salad
- Bok Choy Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing
BLT Pasta Salad (No Mayo!)
Equipment
- large pot
- large pan
- Sharp knife
- large salad bowl
- salad tongs
Ingredients
- 8 oz pasta (I used chickpea pasta)
- 8 pieces bacon
- 3 heaping cups romaine lettuce sliced into thin strips
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes halved
- â…“ cup red onion finely diced
- ½ cup ranch dressing (I used Primal Kitchen brand)
Instructions
- Cook pasta to al-dente according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water
- Preheat a large pan over medium heat. Once hot, add bacon in a single layer. Let cook for 5 minutes, and then flip and continue cooking for another 3 minutes or until golden.Â
- Remove bacon from the pan and blot with a paper towel to remove excess grease. Cut into small pieces.
- Add all salad ingredients to a large salad bowl and toss. Then, add the dressing and toss until evenly coated.
Video
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @munchinwithmaddie_ on Instagram and/or hashtag it #munchinwithmaddie.