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BLT Pasta Salad

August 10, 2023 by Gina +

Bacon, lettuce, and tomato in a pasta salad with a creamy dressing? Sign me up. This combination of ingredients is so delicious and with the added chicken, it makes a great meal.

Jump to Recipe

A good BLT is a classic everyone loves. So why not add it to a pasta salad and bulk it up with some chopped chicken? So much flavor. It’s healthy while still being hearty and satisfying. I also add red onion, green onion, and some shredded cheese. Yum! It comes all together will a creamy ranch sauce. Even my kids love this, though they do pick around the lettuce.

Ingredients needed for the Pasta Salad

  • Cooked pasta – 10oz
  • 8 pieces cooked bacon
  • 3 cups finely chopped romaine lettuce
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped cherry tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup diced red onion
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar
  • 2 diced green onions
  • chopped or shredded chicken
  • FOR THE DRESSING
  • sound cream
  • Mayonnaise
  • Ranch seasoning
  • lemon

How to make the BLT Pasta Salad

  • Preheat the oven to 400. Cook the bacon for 12 ish minutes, until crispy. Remove and pat dry.
  • Cook pasta according to directions. Drain.
  • While pasta and bacon are cooking, mix the sauce. Chop the veggies too.
  • To a large bowl, add the lettuce, cooked pasta, onions, tomatoes, cheese, chicken, and top with bacon. Before serving dressing the sauce and toss well.
  • If you plan for leftovers, don’t add sauce. It will store for a day without dressing.

Why we love this recipe…

  • A BLT but in pasta form.
  • Healthy and has lots of protein but is hearty and satisfying.
  • Easy and quick to prepare.

More recipes you will like…

  • Corn Fritters
  • Red Lentil Fritters
  • Southwest Veggie Fritters

Tips & FAQ for the Zucchini Fritters

Serve hot or cold?

Both ways are great.

Do I have to add chicken?

I love adding chicken for more protein and heartiness but you can easily leave it out.

How to store leftovers?

Best not to dress any part that will be leftovers. Store in the fridge for a day or two before lettuce wilts.


BLT Pasta Salad

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Servings: 0 4-6 servings
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups chopped romaine lettuce
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped cherry tomatoes
  • 8 slices bacon
  • 2 cups chicken breast, diced or shredded
  • 10 oz pasta something like penne or rigatoni
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheese
  • 1/4 cup diced red onion
For the dressing
  • 1 packet ranch dressing (2 tbsp mix)
  • 1/3 cup mayo
  • 1/3 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 lemon
  • salt & pepper

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 400. Cook the bacon for 12 ish minutes, until crispy. Remove and pat dry.
  2. Cook pasta according to directions. Drain.
  3. While pasta and bacon are cooking, mix the dressing. Chop the veggies too.
    For the dressing, stir sour cream, mayo, ranch mix, juice from 1/2 lemon, and adjust taste with a litlte salt and pepper.
  4. To a large bowl, add the lettuce, cooked pasta, onions, tomatoes, cheese, chicken, and top with bacon. Before serving add dressing and toss well. If you plan for leftovers, don't add dressing. It will store for a day without dressing.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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If youโ€™re looking for more dependable, family-friendly dinner ideas, this recipe is available on the Americaโ€™s Test Kitchen app and website. Iโ€™ve linked everything in my bio so itโ€™s easy to find.
Save this for your next busy weeknight, and let me know if you give it a try!

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large carb-balanced burrito-sized tortilla
1 egg
Shredded cheese
2 slices bacon
1/2 avocado, mashed
1 hash brown

Instructions:
Cook the bacon and chop it up. Mash the avocado and season with salt, mix in the bacon, and spread it on the tortilla. Cook the egg with a little shredded cheese, letting it cook mostly through, then fold it. Top the avocado with the hash brown, then add the folded egg. Fold the tortilla into a burrito and crisp it in a pan.
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serves 6
1 lb lean 93/7 ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning
1/2 onion
3.5 oz shredded cheddar + 2 tbsp for the meat mix
1/3 cup Greek yogurt (swap for sour cream if you want)
1 can fat-free refried beans
6 low-cal carb-balanced tortillas (70 cal each) @missionfoodsus 
Queso

How to make it:
Brown the beef, add taco seasoning, let it simmer
Stir in Greek yogurt + 2 tbsp shredded cheese
Cut a slit from center to edge of each tortilla
Layer beans on one section, meat on another, nacho cheese on the last
Fold into a triangle
Arrange in a ring in your cast iron skillet
Top with shredded cheese 
Bake at 375ยฐF for 15 minutes

We top with sour cream, shredded lettuce, salsa, and guacamole 

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Hereโ€™s how I make it:

A big handful of cherry tomatoes
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
Olive oil
Salt + pepper
Squeeze of fresh lemon
Good Culture cottage cheese @good_culture 
Toasted sourdough for serving

Heat a good drizzle of olive oil in a skillet and add the cherry tomatoes. Let them cook until blistered and starting to burst, then give them a light mash.

Add the white beans, season really well with salt and pepper and finish with a squeeze of lemon. Let everything warm together for a few minutes.

Spoon into a bowl, add plenty of cottage cheese on top and serve with toasted or crusty sourdough for scooping.

So simple. SO good.
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If youโ€™re looking for new weeknight dinner ideas that actually work, this recipe is a great place to start. You can find it on the Americaโ€™s Test Kitchen app and websiteโ€”Iโ€™ve linked it in my bio to make it easy to find.

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Tall golden tops, soft centers, melty chocolate, crunchy sugar on topโ€”and the brown butter makes them SO good. Serve them warm. You can even freeze the rest for later.

Comment โ€œMUFFINโ€ and Iโ€™ll send you the recipe!
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This Skillet-Roasted Chicken with Garlicky Spinach and Beans recipe from @testkitchen is the kind of weeknight dinner youโ€™ll want to keep. Itโ€™s simple, flavorful, and comes together in under 45 minutes, which is exactly what I need on busy evenings.
I love knowing the recipe has already been thoroughly tested, so I can make dinner without wondering if itโ€™s going to turn out. It makes weeknight cooking feel so much easier.
If youโ€™re looking for more dependable, family-friendly dinner ideas, this recipe is available on the Americaโ€™s Test Kitchen app and website. Iโ€™ve linked everything in my bio so itโ€™s easy to find.
Save this for your next busy weeknight, and let me know if you give it a try!

Comment โ€˜recipeโ€™ and I will send you the link to try out Americaโ€™s Test Kitchen.
This breakfast burrito is one of my favorite ways This breakfast burrito is one of my favorite ways to start the day. Crispy bacon, mashed avocado, a folded cheesy egg, and a hash brown all wrapped up in a carb-balanced tortilla and crisped in the pan. Itโ€™s simple, itโ€™s filling, and delish! 

large carb-balanced burrito-sized tortilla
1 egg
Shredded cheese
2 slices bacon
1/2 avocado, mashed
1 hash brown

Instructions:
Cook the bacon and chop it up. Mash the avocado and season with salt, mix in the bacon, and spread it on the tortilla. Cook the egg with a little shredded cheese, letting it cook mostly through, then fold it. Top the avocado with the hash brown, then add the folded egg. Fold the tortilla into a burrito and crisp it in a pan.
High-Protein Burrito Bake If you love taco night High-Protein Burrito Bake 

If you love taco night but want something a little lighter and higher protein, this oneโ€™s for you. Folded burritos baked in a ring in the cast iron โ€” easy weeknight dinner and meal-prep friendly

serves 6
1 lb lean 93/7 ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning
1/2 onion
3.5 oz shredded cheddar + 2 tbsp for the meat mix
1/3 cup Greek yogurt (swap for sour cream if you want)
1 can fat-free refried beans
6 low-cal carb-balanced tortillas (70 cal each) @missionfoodsus 
Queso

How to make it:
Brown the beef, add taco seasoning, let it simmer
Stir in Greek yogurt + 2 tbsp shredded cheese
Cut a slit from center to edge of each tortilla
Layer beans on one section, meat on another, nacho cheese on the last
Fold into a triangle
Arrange in a ring in your cast iron skillet
Top with shredded cheese 
Bake at 375ยฐF for 15 minutes

We top with sour cream, shredded lettuce, salsa, and guacamole 

Save this for your next easy weeknight dinner ๐Ÿ™Œ
One of my favorite ways to eat summer tomatoes ๐Ÿ… One of my favorite ways to eat summer tomatoes ๐Ÿ…

Blistered cherry tomatoes, creamy white beans, cottage cheese and plenty of crusty sourdough. Itโ€™s simple, hearty, satisfying and has plenty of protein without feeling like a โ€œhigh-proteinโ€ meal.

Hereโ€™s how I make it:

A big handful of cherry tomatoes
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
Olive oil
Salt + pepper
Squeeze of fresh lemon
Good Culture cottage cheese @good_culture 
Toasted sourdough for serving

Heat a good drizzle of olive oil in a skillet and add the cherry tomatoes. Let them cook until blistered and starting to burst, then give them a light mash.

Add the white beans, season really well with salt and pepper and finish with a squeeze of lemon. Let everything warm together for a few minutes.

Spoon into a bowl, add plenty of cottage cheese on top and serve with toasted or crusty sourdough for scooping.

So simple. SO good.
Save this one for tomato season. ๐Ÿ…๐Ÿค
Creamy Summer Squash Orzo with Steak Tips #ad Thi Creamy Summer Squash Orzo with Steak Tips  #ad
This Creamy Summer Squash Orzo with Steak Tips from @testkitchen is one of those dinners that feels a little special without taking all evening to make.

I love recipes that are simple enough for a weeknight but still feel like a meal everyone is excited to sit down for. This one comes together in under 45 minutes, and I know I can count on it because Americaโ€™s Test Kitchen recipes are so well tested.

If youโ€™re looking for new weeknight dinner ideas that actually work, this recipe is a great place to start. You can find it on the Americaโ€™s Test Kitchen app and websiteโ€”Iโ€™ve linked it in my bio to make it easy to find.

Save this one for the next time youโ€™re wondering what to make for dinner!
Jumbo Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins Tall go Jumbo Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins

Tall golden tops, soft centers, melty chocolate, crunchy sugar on topโ€”and the brown butter makes them SO good. Serve them warm. You can even freeze the rest for later.

Comment โ€œMUFFINโ€ and Iโ€™ll send you the recipe!
Easy Skillet-Roasted Chicken with Garlicky Spinach Easy Skillet-Roasted Chicken with Garlicky Spinach & Beans  #ad
This Skillet-Roasted Chicken with Garlicky Spinach and Beans recipe from @testkitchen is the kind of weeknight dinner youโ€™ll want to keep. Itโ€™s simple, flavorful, and comes together in under 45 minutes, which is exactly what I need on busy evenings.
I love knowing the recipe has already been thoroughly tested, so I can make dinner without wondering if itโ€™s going to turn out. It makes weeknight cooking feel so much easier.
If youโ€™re looking for more dependable, family-friendly dinner ideas, this recipe is available on the Americaโ€™s Test Kitchen app and website. Iโ€™ve linked everything in my bio so itโ€™s easy to find.
Save this for your next busy weeknight, and let me know if you give it a try!

Comment โ€˜recipeโ€™ and I will send you the link to try out Americaโ€™s Test Kitchen.
This breakfast burrito is one of my favorite ways This breakfast burrito is one of my favorite ways to start the day. Crispy bacon, mashed avocado, a folded cheesy egg, and a hash brown all wrapped up in a carb-balanced tortilla and crisped in the pan. Itโ€™s simple, itโ€™s filling, and delish! 

large carb-balanced burrito-sized tortilla
1 egg
Shredded cheese
2 slices bacon
1/2 avocado, mashed
1 hash brown

Instructions:
Cook the bacon and chop it up. Mash the avocado and season with salt, mix in the bacon, and spread it on the tortilla. Cook the egg with a little shredded cheese, letting it cook mostly through, then fold it. Top the avocado with the hash brown, then add the folded egg. Fold the tortilla into a burrito and crisp it in a pan.
High-Protein Burrito Bake If you love taco night High-Protein Burrito Bake 

If you love taco night but want something a little lighter and higher protein, this oneโ€™s for you. Folded burritos baked in a ring in the cast iron โ€” easy weeknight dinner and meal-prep friendly

serves 6
1 lb lean 93/7 ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning
1/2 onion
3.5 oz shredded cheddar + 2 tbsp for the meat mix
1/3 cup Greek yogurt (swap for sour cream if you want)
1 can fat-free refried beans
6 low-cal carb-balanced tortillas (70 cal each) @missionfoodsus 
Queso

How to make it:
Brown the beef, add taco seasoning, let it simmer
Stir in Greek yogurt + 2 tbsp shredded cheese
Cut a slit from center to edge of each tortilla
Layer beans on one section, meat on another, nacho cheese on the last
Fold into a triangle
Arrange in a ring in your cast iron skillet
Top with shredded cheese 
Bake at 375ยฐF for 15 minutes

We top with sour cream, shredded lettuce, salsa, and guacamole 

Save this for your next easy weeknight dinner ๐Ÿ™Œ
One of my favorite ways to eat summer tomatoes ๐Ÿ… One of my favorite ways to eat summer tomatoes ๐Ÿ…

Blistered cherry tomatoes, creamy white beans, cottage cheese and plenty of crusty sourdough. Itโ€™s simple, hearty, satisfying and has plenty of protein without feeling like a โ€œhigh-proteinโ€ meal.

Hereโ€™s how I make it:

A big handful of cherry tomatoes
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
Olive oil
Salt + pepper
Squeeze of fresh lemon
Good Culture cottage cheese @good_culture 
Toasted sourdough for serving

Heat a good drizzle of olive oil in a skillet and add the cherry tomatoes. Let them cook until blistered and starting to burst, then give them a light mash.

Add the white beans, season really well with salt and pepper and finish with a squeeze of lemon. Let everything warm together for a few minutes.

Spoon into a bowl, add plenty of cottage cheese on top and serve with toasted or crusty sourdough for scooping.

So simple. SO good.
Save this one for tomato season. ๐Ÿ…๐Ÿค
Creamy Summer Squash Orzo with Steak Tips #ad Thi Creamy Summer Squash Orzo with Steak Tips  #ad
This Creamy Summer Squash Orzo with Steak Tips from @testkitchen is one of those dinners that feels a little special without taking all evening to make.

I love recipes that are simple enough for a weeknight but still feel like a meal everyone is excited to sit down for. This one comes together in under 45 minutes, and I know I can count on it because Americaโ€™s Test Kitchen recipes are so well tested.

If youโ€™re looking for new weeknight dinner ideas that actually work, this recipe is a great place to start. You can find it on the Americaโ€™s Test Kitchen app and websiteโ€”Iโ€™ve linked it in my bio to make it easy to find.

Save this one for the next time youโ€™re wondering what to make for dinner!

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