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With double the bacon, this BLT Pasta Salad with Jalapeño Basil Ranch is the perfect summer salad. It’s almost no-cook and comes together in minutes. It has extra crispy bacon, romaine lettuce, and cherry tomatoes all tossed together with my creamy, spicy jalapeño basil ranch dressing. Toss in some cubes of cheddar cheese, grilled corn, and chunks of avocado and you’ll be good to go. This pasta salad is simple to toss together, super flavorful, and one of those recipes that everyone LOVES. Perfect for serving at your next backyard dinner. Enjoy this for dinner and save the leftovers for lunch!
I’m on a pasta salad kick this spring/summer. Well, pasta salads and ice cream, I’ve been making both on repeat. Usually, I’d have issue with all of this repetitiveness, but I’ve loved all of the recipes I’ve been sharing. each one even more than the last.
If it’s a good recipe, it needs to be shared. And you all, this pasta salad is a really GOOD recipe.
I’m not sure exactly what inspired me to mix this up. But a week or so ago I just felt like making a really yummy, simple BLT pasta. First, I wanted to make sure I hadn’t created anything like this BLT recipe I was dreaming of. So I searched BLT on the HBH site. I was surprised to see the scant number of “BLT” dishes that came up.
Over the past 10+ years, I’ve created only a handful of BLT dishes, and never a pasta salad. That was all I needed to make up my mind to move forward with this pasta.
Ingredients
- Plain greek yogurt
- Mayo
- Buttermilk
- Fresh basil
- Fresh cilantro
- Fresh chopped chives
- jalapeño
- Worcestershire
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Kosher salt and black pepper
Salad
- Short cut pasta
- Cubed spicy cheddar cheese
- Romaine lettuce
- Cherry tomatoes
- Grilled corn
- Cooked bacon
- Avocado
Now the details
One of the biggest reasons I’m loving pasta salads so much is the simple fact that they’re usually easy to make. And that is just the case with this BLT pasta salad.
Simply mix the dressing, boil your favorite cut of short-cut pasta, then toss everything together.
Step 1: make the ranch dressing
This is one of my favorite dressings, especially for summer. It’s very creamy and easy to make with fresh basil, cilantro, and then the usual ranch ingredients. Mayo, buttermilk, chives, Worcestershire, garlic, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
Personally, I love to toss in a jalapeño too.
Blend everything up in a blender or food processor until creamy – super easy to do. This really adds all the flavor!
Step 2: cook the pasta
I recommend using a shortcut pasta with ridges, but whatever your favorite pasta cut is will work just fine.
Step 3: toss the salad
Toss the hot pasta immediately with the dressing and cubes of sharp, spicy cheddar cheese. The heat from the pasta will intensify the flavors of the herbs and melt those cubes of cheese.
It’s going to smell wonderful, but taste even more DELICIOUS. This is a small little secret my dad taught me for making the best pasta salad.
Step 4: add everything else
Once the pasta is tossed with the dressing, mix in the cherry tomatoes, lettuce, grilled or roasted corn, and then of course, lots and lots of crispy bacon. YUM!
You can eat this warm or at room temperature. I love hot food, so I like this best while it’s still a little warm.
What I will say is that the longer the pasta sits, the more flavor it develops, so this is also perfect for making ahead. Just be sure to add the bacon and avocado right before serving to ensure the bacon is crispy and the avocado is the perfect shade of green.
Looking for other summer salad recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Pasta Salad
Pesto Chicken Caesar Salad with Tomatoes and Burrata
Honey Mustard Pretzel Chicken and Avocado Bacon Salad
Lastly, if you make this BLT Pasta Salad, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
BLT Pasta Salad
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 462 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
Jalapeño Ranch Dressing
- 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1/3 cup mayo
- 2 tablespoons buttermilk
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped chives
- 1 jalapeño, seeded, if desired
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- kosher salt and black pepper
Salad
- 1 pound short cut pasta
- 1 cup cubed spicy cheddar cheese
- 1 head romaine lettuce, shredded
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 cups grilled corn (about 3 ears)
- 8 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
- 1 avocado, diced
Instructions
- 1. To make the dressing. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta to al dente, according to package directions. Drain.3. In a large bowl, toss together the hot pasta with dressing and cubes of cheese. Mix in the lettuce, tomatoes, corn, bacon, and avocado, gently tossing to combine. 4. Serve warm or cold. The salad will develop more flavor as it sits. If serving later, add the bacon and avocado just before serving.
This post was originally published on June 13, 2023
Perfect dinner for a hot night in Virginia. And the necessary meat/bacon to satisfy a college age athlete, who had 3 helpings. The dressing is super delicious, and the pasta could possibly use a bit more – I used the entire amount. Used Pepper Jack cheese and thought it was good.
Will make this again.
Hi Gayle,
Thanks so much for trying this pasta salad and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
My family really enjoyed this. I added diced grilled chicken because I was feeding 4 guys. Next time I would double the dressing recipe. Would have been nice to have some additional to add on. I also followed the comment that said to not mix in the lettuce so it wouldn’t get soggy as leftovers. Everyone just piled the shredded lettuce into their bowl first then added the pasta and mixed.
Hi Kelly,
Awesome!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for making it! xT
This recipe turned out even better that I thought it would. My husband was a bit hesitant but wound up going back for thirds. 🙂 The only spicy cheddar I could find was a habanero cheddar and it was perfect. I was worried that the jalapeno may make it too spicy with the habanero but it didn’t. Next time I’d probably even leave the seeds in. Also left out the cilantro as my husband is not a fan but it was still super tasty. Had it for leftovers the next day and it was still just as good. Definitely gets all the stars.
Hi Ann Marie,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! Happy 4th of July weekend! 🇺🇸🍓
Made this the other night, served it cold and everyone really enjoyed it! I could not find the spicy cheddar so will try with pepper jack next time. LOVE the dressing! Trader Joe’s had the exact pasta. As a side note, I would add shredded lettuce to the individual servings to mix in so it does not get soggy as leftovers.
Hey Deb,
I am thrilled to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for making it! Have a great holiday weekend! 🇺🇸🎆 xT
Planning to make this for
The upcoming holiday. I’m curious how the romaine doesn’t get soggy?
Hi Olivia,
The lettuce might be a little soft, but it shouldn’t be soggy:) Let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
I am trying this recipe today. I could not find spicy cheddar at my grocery store. Can I sub with jalapeno colby jack?
Thank you.
Hi Marilynn,
Totally, that will work well for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope it’s delish! xT
This was very tasty on a warm summer evening. I will make again! But I don’t understand why recipes under estimate the prep time. This took way longer than 20 min. with cooking the pasta, cooking the bacon, shaving and grilling the corn, washing and chopping all the veggies and putting the dressing together. Next time I will prep what I can ahead of time. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Nancy,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! Sorry it took longer than expected! xT
Absolutely amazing! The dressing is so delicious, I was literally licking it off the spoon!
Lol thanks so much Rose!! Love to hear that this dish was a hit and I appreciate you making it! xT
10/10 whole family loved this! I meal prepped this ahead of time so it was super easy to throw together for dinner. I kept everything separate except the pasta and sauce. Warmed before serving. Sooooooo good! I also made a variation with the same sauce, bacon and pasta but instead of the corn & stuff did peas and shredded parmesan which was also delicious.
Hi Brooke,
Awesome!!😎 Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
Hi Tieghan!
Such a fan and we have enjoyed every recipe I have made of yours! I have been on the Delallo website and I cannot locate this particular pasta. It reminds me of Charlotte’s Web and I NEED it…lol. Can you please help me locate this particular pasta? Thank you!
Thanks so much Lisa!! I found this pasta shape on Thrive Market. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! I hope you love this recipe! xT
Thank you! 🙂 You are always so kind and attentive. Can’t wait to order.
I seriously don’t know if we’ve made a recipe of yours that we didn’t love. No I exception here! Didn’t do the corn just because I’m not a fan. Otherwise, followed as is and it’s a keeper. SO GOOD
Thanks so much for making so many recipes Samantha!! Love to hear that this recipe was a hit! Happy Monday! xT
Delicious! It made a TON! Will be eating for lunch at work the next couple of days! How long do leftovers keep for? Thanks!
Hi Moe,
Thanks so much for giving this pasta salad a try! I love to hear that it was enjoyed and turned out well for you! xT
Took this to our church picnic today. It was such a big hit! Makes a lot so if don’t need that much I would half the recipe, but for today it was perfect.
Thanks so much Michelle!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, I appreciate you making it! xx
Absolutely delicious!! Would recommend!
Hey Bethany,
Happy Monday!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! Have a great week! xT
So good ! The dressing is a game changer !!!
Thanks so much Syrine!! Love to hear you enjoyed this recipe, I appreciate you making it! xT