Baker by Nature

A Baking Blog by Ashley Manila

20-Minute BLT Easy Pasta Salad

This 20-Minute BLT Easy Pasta Salad is fresh, fast, SUPER satisfying! This simple bow tie pasta salad is LOADED with bacon, lettuce, and tomato!!! And then it’s dressed in a slightly creamy – and totally addicting – Zesty Italian dressing.

This 20-Minute BLT Easy Pasta Salad is fresh, fast, SUPER satisfying! This simple bow tie pasta salad is LOADED with bacon, lettuce, and tomato!!! And then it's dressed in a slightly creamy - and totally addicting - Zesty Italian dressing. 

BLT Bow Tie Pasta Salad Recipe

We got back from the beach yesterday, and guess what… I’m beat! After 2 hours of packing up the car, 2 hours in the car, and then – wait for it – 2 hours unpacking the dang car, I felt like I was ready for another vacation!!! Or at least a spa day 😉 Hey… a girl can dream, right? To ease back into the whole real life situation, I decided to take things easy dinner wise and make this incredibly simple 20-minute BLT pasta salad.It’s creamy, dreamy, and just begging to be your dinner!

I usually like my pasta salad loaded with a TON of veggies, cheeses, and meats – like this classic Italian pasta salad – but since I wanted something simple and fast, I decided to SHAKE things up and try a new recipe that had been floating around my brain for ages. BLT PASTA SALAD. I mean, how could it not be amazing, right?

This 20-Minute BLT Easy Pasta Salad is fresh, fast, SUPER satisfying! This simple bow tie pasta salad is LOADED with bacon, lettuce, and tomato!!! And then it's dressed in a slightly creamy - and totally addicting - Zesty Italian dressing. 

How to make Easy BLT Pasta Salad

To make this blt bowtie pasta salad, you’ll need the following ingredients:

  • bow tie pasta: aka farfalle! but feel free to use another small noodle in its place!
  • zesty Italian salad dressing: use your favorite brand!
  • creamy Ranch salad dressing: this is my secret ingredient… it adds a subtle creaminess to the pasta salad. trust me!!!
  • thick cut bacon: fried until crispy!!! then cut into strips or crumbled. But I think strips looks prettier.
  • ripe tomatoes: diced! Heirloom tomatoes work great here, but any juicy tomato will work. In a pinch, you can even use cherry or grape tomatoes.
  • crispy romaine lettuce: keyword crispy!!!
  • red onion: diced, this ingredient adds a nice kick.
  • And of course, salt and pepper: to taste

20-minute BLT Pasta Salad

This pasta can be ready to go in 20 minutes, but also can be made up to 8 hours before serving! Perfect for those busy days when you need to make dinner in advance 😉 Just be sure to add the lettuce in right before serving if making ahead of time… otherwise it gets a little soggy and sad.

This 20-Minute BLT Easy Pasta Salad is fresh, fast, SUPER satisfying! This simple bow tie pasta salad is LOADED with bacon, lettuce, and tomato!!! And then it's dressed in a slightly creamy - and totally addicting - Zesty Italian dressing. 

If you have a picnic coming up, or are just looking for a fast, fresh dinner idea, BLT pasta salad has to be on your menu! And with only 7 simple ingredients… I suggest whipping it up TONIGHT!

More Pasta Salad Recipes:

This 20-Minute BLT Easy Pasta Salad is fresh, fast, SUPER satisfying! This simple bow tie pasta salad is LOADED with bacon, lettuce, and tomato!!! And then it's dressed in a slightly creamy - and totally addicting - Zesty Italian dressing. 

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20-Minute BLT Pasta Salad

Prep

Cook

Total

Yield 8 servings

20 Minute BLT Pasta Salad!

Ingredients

  • 1 pound bow tie pasta
  • 1 cup zesty Italian salad dressing
  • 1/2 cup creamy Ranch salad dressing
  • 1 pound thick cut bacon, fried until crispy then cut into strips or crumbled (I think strips looks prettier, but it's a little more work)
  • 2 large ripe tomatoes, diced (heirlooms work great here if you can get your hands on them)
  • 10 leaves of crispy romaine lettuce, washed, dried, and chopped into bite sized pieces
  • 1/3 cup red onion, diced
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes.
  2. Drain pasta and rinse under cold water until cool.
  3. While the water is coming to a boil, heat a skillet over medium heat; add bacon strips, and cook until crispy, about 4 minutes on each side. Transfer bacon to a paper towel lined plate.
  4. Place cooled pasta in a large serving bowl; set aside.
  5. In a small bowl combine zesty Italian dressing and ranch, mix well. Add dressing to pasta and toss well to coat pasta.
  6. Add bacon, lettuce, tomato, and onion to the pasta bowl, mix well to combine, and season with salt and pepper as desired. Serve at once, or chill until needed.

Courses Dinner

Cuisine Italian

10K Shares

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Meg says

    August 18, 2014 at 6:29 pm

    I would definitely not have thought of putting ranch and Italian dressing together, but this pasta salad sounds and looks delicious!

    Reply

    • Paula Corson says

      July 22, 2016 at 7:32 pm

      I make a version of this using peppercorn ranch with the Italian. So yummy! And I also add grilled chicken breast for a complete meal.

      Reply

  10. Lindsey @ American Heritage Cooking says

    August 19, 2014 at 9:16 pm

    Totally get the needing a vacation after the vacation! But girl, this salad looks divine!!! I am drooling all over my keyboard. Why is it that everything tastes better with bow-tie noodles? Is it because they are so cute? IDK but this salad needs to find its way into my dinners this week!

    Reply

  13. Stephanie says

    August 20, 2014 at 12:38 am

    I am now seriously craving this salad! You are totally right – nothing beats bacon, tomatoes and crisp lettuce. I never thought to combine both Kraft Ranch and Italian dressings for a pasta salad… I must try this! Thanks for sharing #client

    Reply

  20. Joanne says

    August 21, 2014 at 5:03 pm

    You know, if you’re already missing NYC and want to come back…I can totally do a spa day with you! I think I need one also after all of my current moving/not-moving fiascos. 😛

    Reply

  26. Mary says

    August 24, 2014 at 4:02 am

    Just curious, do you get a reimbursement from Walmart for mentioning that they carry the products you use in the recipe. Those same products can be purchased at just about any store so I am wondering why you specify Walmart?

    Reply

  29. Connie says

    August 27, 2014 at 6:31 am

    This salad looks and sounds amazing but, since my taste buds have never gotten along with onions, I am going to substitute avacado for onions when I make it. Can’t wait, ya gotta love anything BLT! Also, if you don’t like the non-uniformity of crumbled bacon, I always cut mine in narrow slices, from the end of the package, before I cook it. If you put the bacon in the freezer for about 15 minutes before slicing it, it will be more firm and slice easier. You can cut the end of the whole package and your required amount is done in a few slices and they will be nice and uniform!

    Reply

  31. Sheila says

    August 29, 2014 at 5:57 am

    This salad was extremely light and delicious, easy to make and absolutely beautiful. I highly recommend it as a suggestion for couples to make on date nights!!!

    Reply

  33. Danica Hebner says

    October 6, 2014 at 7:01 pm

    About how many people will this serve? I am having a cookout with about 25 people and am wondering should I double the recipe or more?

    Reply

  34. Danica Hebner says

    October 7, 2014 at 3:25 am

    Hi. I was wondering about how many people this recipe will feed? I am having a BBQ with about 25 people and I am unsure if I need to double the recipe or more…….thanks

    Reply

    • bakerbynature says

      October 7, 2014 at 1:23 pm

      Hi Danica. I would recommend doubling or even tripling this if you want to feed 25. I fed 4 people with this, but we ate it as a main. I would say triple it if you’re going to serve it as a side 😉 The good news: it triples quite easily! xo

      Reply

  36. Sherry says

    May 14, 2015 at 3:14 pm

    My boyfriend and I made this last night… followed the recipe to the letter. Oh my goodness, it’s amazing!! I encourage everyone to try this easy, and quite delicious, recipe. 😉

    Reply

  37. Joel Sutton says

    May 20, 2015 at 2:21 am

    We made this for supper tonight and it was amazing. My new favorite salad. I’ll be getting more bacon tomorrow so I can take this salad to a church supper on Sunday. I also shared a link to your page with family and friends. Thanks for sharing this with us.

    Reply

    • bakerbynature says

      May 20, 2015 at 2:25 am

      Hi Joel. Thank you so much for this awesome comment! I am so happy to hear you enjoyed this salad, and even happier to know you’re making it again to share 🙂 Have a wonderful night!

      Reply

  38. Nancy says

    May 29, 2015 at 11:22 am

    Tried this last night, as the temp was 90, I needed easy and light and no oven. Did my bacon in the micro, cooked the pasta, chopped the tomatoes, red onion and lettuce on large cutting board. Also diced up some leftover grilled chicken. Mixed the dressings. Called all to dinner, and everyone prepared their own salad. It was a big hit. Will definitely make again. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

  39. Patti says

    June 1, 2015 at 9:45 am

    We will be having company (men) to go fishig deffinitly will be making this wonderful salad to feed them with rolls and call it good! Thanks SO much

    Reply

  41. Julie says

    July 3, 2015 at 1:12 pm

    Hi, I’m planning on making this for a family cook-out which is two hours away, I was wondering how well it would be if I made it the night before and transport it in the van for two hours? Also to make things faster could you use real bacon bits, if so how much? Thank you, I can’t wait to try this recipe.

    Reply

    • bakerbynature says

      July 3, 2015 at 2:58 pm

      Hi Julie. If you’re traveling with this dish I really don’t recommend making it the night before as the ingredients may not hold up so well. What I do think you could do is cook the noodles the night before, drain them, rinse them in cold water, and toss them with the salad dressing (so they don’t stick). Then you could just chop up the lettuce, tomato, onion, and bacon, place them in separate bowls, and toss everything together in the morning before traveling. <--- That should only take 5 minutes max. I've never made this using real bacon bits, but I see no reason why they wouldn't work 😉 I would start with 1/3 cup and add more if needed.Have a great time at the cook-out!

      Reply

  43. alison says

    July 17, 2015 at 7:53 pm

    Thanks for this recipe! My question was if I could make it the night before. I read your response to someone else asking the same question, so Im going to give it a try just cooking the pasta and add the dressing. Hope it tastes good! looks yummy

    Reply

  44. Linda De Leon says

    July 20, 2015 at 6:04 pm

    this pasta salad was off the chain!! i added some more seasoning like Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese..it was a hit..

    thanks again

    Reply

  46. Pam says

    March 31, 2016 at 8:45 am

    I have made a similar BLT for years Bow tie, real bacon bits, green onion and tomato. Drizzle olive oil on cooked pasta, add a little garlic powder, blend with mayo….I try my best not to eat it all!!

    Reply

  56. Kathy says

    November 2, 2017 at 3:42 pm

    The dressing worked! Great flavor! I made a healthier version that was probably just as good. I used whole wheat rotini, turkey bacon and light ranch dressing.

    Reply

  57. Malisha Mishel says

    October 14, 2018 at 12:14 am

    That’s a great idea! My son loves Pasta Salad too much. I try to cook, but, maybe I can’t like yours! Learned something new to apply for the next time! Thank you so much, Ashley, for sharing such a superb idea! 🙂

    Reply

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