Description
This BLT Pasta Salad is a delicious and refreshing dish combining classic BLT flavors with a creamy Hidden Valley Ranch dressing. Featuring rotini pasta, crispy bacon, fresh vegetables, and cheddar cheese, it’s perfect for potlucks, picnics, or a quick family meal. Ready in just 40 minutes, this salad is a crowd-pleaser that brings together savory and fresh ingredients in a creamy, tangy dressing.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 1 16-ounce box Rotini Pasta (cooked, drained, and rinsed with cold water)
Protein
- 13 slices bacon (cooked and chopped)
Vegetables
- ½ large red onion (finely diced)
- 2 cups romaine lettuce (cut or torn into bite size pieces, measured after cutting)
- 1 avocado (cut into small pieces)
- 1½ cups cherry tomatoes (cut in half, measured after cutting)
- ¼ cup parsley (chopped)
Dairy
- 1½ cups cheddar cheese (cut into cubes, measured after cubing)
- ½ cup sour cream
Dressing
- 1 1-ounce packet Hidden Valley Dressing Mix (dry)
- 1½ cups mayonnaise
Instructions
- Prepare the dressing: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the dry Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix, mayonnaise, and sour cream. Whisk them together until smooth and well incorporated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dressing for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
- Cook the pasta: Follow the package instructions to cook the rotini pasta until al dente. Once cooked, drain the pasta and rinse it thoroughly with cold water to stop the cooking process and cool it down. Drain again and transfer the pasta to a large mixing bowl.
- Combine salad ingredients: To the large bowl with pasta, add the cooked and chopped bacon, finely diced red onion, cubed cheddar cheese, small avocado pieces, halved cherry tomatoes, chopped parsley, and romaine lettuce pieces. Pour the chilled dressing over the salad ingredients. Using tongs, gently toss everything together until the salad is evenly coated with the dressing.
- Serve: Serve the BLT Pasta Salad immediately for the freshest texture, or refrigerate briefly if preferred. The salad makes a perfect side dish or light meal.
Notes
- For best flavor, refrigerate the salad for 15-30 minutes after tossing to allow the dressing to fully soak into the ingredients.
- To keep avocado from browning, toss it with a little lemon juice before adding to the salad.
- Feel free to substitute romaine with other crunchy lettuces like iceberg or butter lettuce.
- This salad can be made a few hours ahead but is recommended to be served the same day for optimal freshness.
- To reduce fat, use light mayonnaise and sour cream, or substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream.
