This may very well be the BEST pasta salad I’ve ever made. It’s simply so excellent and even 3 years after making it I can’t cease serious about how dreamy it’s.
This BLT pasta salad was an concept that got here to me after Tony and I began making superb BLT sandwiches with avocado for our lunches (we had been on an actual bacon kick for a number of weeks!). There’s something so comforting and scrumptious a few traditional BLT sandwich that I began serious about how good it is likely to be deconstructed right into a pasta salad. Just a few nights later, I developed this recipe and fell head over heels in love. Belief me once I let you know, you want to make it.
Earlier than you get began, I do need to point out that the jalapeño cashew dressing actually helps tie all of it collectively. That’s proper, as a substitute of ranch or a dressing made with bitter cream or mayonnaise, we’re tossing every thing along with a creamy, dairy free dressing that has a touch of warmth and coats each nook and cranny of the pasta. Don’t be afraid to attempt one thing new and totally different than what you’re used to! It’s DAMN GOOD.
Get pleasure from this unimaginable pasta salad as a dinner, lunch and even facet dish at your subsequent BBQ!
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BLT pasta salad substances
This simple BLT pasta salad is mainly simply made up of your fav pasta, some recent summer season veggies, and a easy cashew sauce you’ll completely fall in love with. Right here’s what you’ll want:
- Jalapeño cashew dressing: we’re utilizing this recipe for the dressing. IT IS AMAZING, filled with taste, and dairy free! See ya later, ranch dressing combine.
- Bacon: the B within the BLT, child! The bacon provides salty, crispy bites to the pasta salad. Be happy to make use of turkey bacon when you’d like.
- Pasta: I counsel utilizing bowties (AKA farfalle) or giant shells in order that the dressing will get in all of these nooks and crannies, however be happy to make use of any pasta you’d like (even gluten free pasta). Elbow macaroni or rotini pasta would even be nice!
- Corn: for a recent, summer season twist and slight sweetness. You should use grilled, uncooked or sautéd corn!
- Cherry or grape tomatoes: tomatoes add juicy bursts in each chunk. I really like utilizing heirloom cherry tomatoes for shade selection.
- Crimson onion: for just a little further zip.
- Romaine lettuce: the L in BLT! Romaine holds up very well on this BLT pasta salad and provides a beautiful crunchiness.
- Avocado: can’t neglect about creamy avocado. Nothing higher! I like to select a simply barely ripe avocado so it stays agency within the pasta salad.
The way to cook dinner one of the best bacon
You possibly can completely cook dinner your bacon on the stovetop, but when your burners are full (and to keep away from some mess) discover ways to cook dinner bacon within the oven right here! It will likely be completely crunchy and scrumptious for this BLT pasta salad.
Customise your wholesome BLT pasta salad
Top-of-the-line components about this simple, dairy free BLT pasta salad? It’s nice for customizing to suit the wants of company or dissipate what you might have available. Right here’s what I can counsel:
- Decide your bacon: be happy to swap the common bacon for turkey bacon and even omit to make this salad vegan & vegetarian.
- Add protein: some grilled hen or chickpeas can be excellent for an additional increase of protein.
- Cheese it up: add a sprinkle of shredded sharp cheddar cheese, parmesan or feta for just a little extra savory indulgence.
- Lacking the bread? Attempt some enjoyable croutons when you’re lacking the toasty bread of your favourite BLT sandwich!
Let’s chat dressing
We’re lightening up this BLT pasta salad with a dairy free jalapeño cashew dressing that you just’ll fall in love with. It’s simpler to make than you assume, however when you’d prefer to go nut free you possibly can all the time use this do-it-yourself ranch dressing as a substitute. Be happy so as to add jalapeño to the dressing, or toss thinly sliced jalapeños within the pasta salad itself.
Suggestions for making excellent BLT pasta salad each time
With a number of suggestions and methods, I assure you’ll fall in LOVE with this scrumptious pasta salad recipe.
- Don’t overcook your pasta. You’ll need to be sure to cook dinner your pasta till simply al dente in order that it doesn’t find yourself mushy within the salad. Be happy to run the pasta below chilly water after you drain it to assist cease the cooking and funky it off earlier than including the remainder of the substances.
- Use the best avocado. Select a ripe, however nonetheless agency, avocado in order that the cubes don’t crumble within the salad.
- Grill your corn. Sure, you possibly can simply use uncooked, canned, and even thawed frozen corn on this recipe, however I’m obsessive about the flavour that grilled corn provides. Discover ways to grill corn right here!
The way to retailer BLT pasta salad
This BLT pasta salad will keep recent coated within the fridge for about 3-4 days. It’s scrumptious made forward of time, too, so be happy to prep it the night time earlier than a picnic or bbq, or prep it to your weekday lunches. I’d advocate including the avocado once you’re able to serve in order that it stays recent.
Make it forward of time
You possibly can simply make this pasta salad a few days forward of time and retailer it within the fridge! I’d advocate leaving the avocado and romaine off of the salad till you’re able to serve it as they’ll lose their freshness the quickest.
You possibly can additionally chop up all your veggies, cook dinner your pasta & bacon, make the dressing, and retailer all of it within the fridge till you’re able to assemble every thing!
Extra pasta salad recipes to attempt
Get all of my salad recipes right here!
I hope you’re keen on this rattling good BLT pasta salad recipe! In case you make it make sure to depart a remark so I understand how you favored it. You can too share a photograph on Instagram and tag #ambitiouskitchen. Get pleasure from, xo!
Rattling Good BLT Pasta Salad with Creamy Jalapeño Cashew Dressing
Whole Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Rattling good BLT pasta salad made with recent corn, tomatoes, romaine lettuce, creamy avocado and crispy bacon. This simple, wholesome BLT pasta salad recipe is tossed in an unimaginable, creamy jalapeño cashew dressing for an unbelievably scrumptious twist in your favourite sandwich. Good for potlucks, BBQ’s or having fun with for a wholesome lunch or dinner!
Components
-
1
batch of jalapeno cashew cream dressing - For the pasta salad:
-
12
ounces
bacon -
10
ounces
pasta of selection (I counsel bowties or giant shells, gluten free if desired) -
1 ½
cups
corn, grilled, uncooked or sauteed -
1
pint
cherry tomatoes, halved (I really like utilizing heirloom cherry tomatoes for shade selection) -
½
medium pink onion, thinly sliced -
2-4
cups
chopped romaine lettuce -
1
barely ripe however nonetheless agency avocado, diced
Directions
-
Whereas the cashews are soaking to your dressing, I counsel chopping all of your veggies and having them able to go. You can too cook dinner your bacon: add bacon to a big skillet or pan and place over medium warmth, cook dinner bacon on each side till crispy and golden brown. If the pan begins to smoke at any level, merely decrease the warmth. I all the time cook dinner my bacon on medium low warmth. As soon as bacon is completed, blot with a paper towel to soak up extra grease, then chop into chunk sized items and put aside.
-
Subsequent cook dinner your pasta till al dente, drain after which place in a big bowl. Add the entire jalapeno cashew dressing, then stir collectively to mix. Subsequent add the chopped bacon, corn (I desire grilled or sauteed), halved cherry tomatoes, sliced pink onion, romaine lettuce and avocado. Gently toss once more, then style and alter seasonings as needed, including extra salt and pepper when you’d like. Serves 6, or 4 as a bigger meal. Garnish with further corn, tomatoes, pink onion, avocado and bacon.
Recipe Notes
This BLT pasta salad will keep recent coated within the fridge for about 3-4 days. It’s scrumptious made forward of time, too, so be happy to prep it the night time earlier than a picnic or bbq, or prep it to your weekday lunches. I’d advocate including the avocado and romaine on once you’re able to serve in order that they keep recent.
See the total put up for scrumptious, simple methods to customise!
Vitamin
Servings: 6 servings
Serving measurement: 1 serving (primarily based on 6)
Energy: 451kcal
Fats: 19.5g
Saturated fats: 3.9g
Carbohydrates: 54.2g
Fiber: 7.4g
Sugar: 7.3g
Protein: 18.6g
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Formidable Kitchen | Pictures by: Eat Love Eats
This put up was initially revealed on July thirtieth, 2020, republished on June twenty fourth, 2022, and republished Might sixteenth, 2023.
