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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.
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.
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.
Hi Tieghan – i know i made this last year but cant remember if i commented to you. Well i just made it again today and it is AMAZING. The dressing is full of fresh flavor and the corn and avocado give it that Extra. Thanks!!!
Hey Cindy,
So glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for making it and your feedback! xx
Spicy cheese is linked to “mild cheddar cheese” OP thinks that mild is its level of spicy. Opinion invalid. Can’t trust. Maybe ai written?
What kind of spicy cheese?
Hi there,
I used a spicy cheddar cheese, but you can use whatever you like! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
I am leaving on a holiday and want to make this dressing before we leave and use it within 5 days. Is it ok to make beforehand?
Hi Danielle,
Totally, this dressing is good for 2 weeks in the fridge. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
My meat & potato loving husband LOVED this salad! Actually, more than I did. It was good but I felt like I spent too much time on it, mainly the dressing, but it was worth it.
Hey Julie,
Fantastic! So glad to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for making it and your comment! Xx
Ill be making this this week. You have the most beautiful food pictures ever
Thank you so much, Joyce! I hope you love this recipe! xT
So delicious and even better the next day! I made extra dressing. How long could I store it in the fridge?
Hey Charlotte,
Happy Wednesday! I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and your comment, so glad it turned out nicely for you! The dressing is good for 1 week in the fridge. x
As usual, this recipe did not disappoint. Just made it and my taste buds are singing happy songs. After purchasing the fresh herbs, I got home and realized I was out of mayo and buttermilk so just ended up making my own. This recipe will be now added to my “Half-Baked Harvest” rotation!
Thanks so much, Kelle:) So glad to hear that this recipe was a hit! I appreciate you making it:)
Amazing salad! I made for this Memorial Weekend! It was a hit. I will be adding this to our rotation. Very fresh and full of flavor. Thank you. We loved it.
Hey Page,
Thank you so much for making this recipe and your feedback, love to hear it was enjoyed! Happy Memorial Day! xT
Delicious! I threw the jalapeño on the grill with the corn before blending it into the dressing, yum.
Hey Heather,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for trying it out! Xx
This looks great!! Do you think instead of cilantro, I could use parsley? Thanks!
Hey Danielle,
Of course, parsley will work well for you! I hope you love this recipe, let me know how it turns out! xT
Yumnmmm y this recipe is delicious. Can this dressing be frozen??
Hi Rachel,
Happy Friday!! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was delish, thanks for trying it and your comment! I probably wouldn’t freeze the dressing:) xT