This BLT Pasta Salad is a fresh and delicious twist on the classic BLT sandwich. With crispy bacon, juicy cherry tomatoes, and creamy avocado, it's a flavor-packed salad that's sure to be a hit. The vibrant avocado-ranch dressing is nothing short of addicting and ties everything together perfectly!
½cup EACH:low-fat buttermilk, good mayo(like Best Foods/Hellmans)
2largelemons(1/4 cup juice; 1/2 tsp zest)
1½teaspoon each:dried parsley, onion powder, and garlic powder
Instructions
BAKE BACON: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place a metal cooling rack on top of an extra-large sheet pan with raised sides; lightly grease with cooking spray. Place slices of bacon in an even layer (not touching) on top of the cooling rack. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden and crisp. Remove and let cool (it will get crispier). Chop into small pieces.
PASTA: Prepare the pasta according to package instructions in well-salted water. (I add 1 tbsp salt to 16 cups pasta water). Drain the pasta, but don't rinse under cold water. Cover and place in the fridge, tossing occasionally, until fully cooled. (Great to make ahead!)
VEGGIE PREP: Finely dice the entire packet of dill and set aside ¼ cup (gently packed) for the dressing. Chop romaine lettuce and wash, but make sure it's 100% dried before adding it to the salad. Halve the cherry tomatoes. Cut the red onion in half then half again. Thinly slice the 2 quarters to get 1 cup thinly sliced red onion. Dice the large avocado.
DRESSING: Meanwhile, remove flesh from the other avocados and mash down into measuring cups to get 1 ¼cups flesh. Add the flesh and remaining dressing ingredients to a blender. Season to taste (I add 1½ tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper.) Add a full 1/4 cup finely chopped dill and blend until smooth. (Dressing is very thick; it will thin out when added to salad.)
COMBINE: Toss completely cooled pasta with lettuce. Add tomatoes, red onion, crumbled cooked bacon, and chopped avocado. Scoop on dressing and all the remaining dill you have. Gently toss. Taste and add more salt/pepper if needed. Serve promptly--it's best eaten right after being made.
STORAGE: To ensure the best possible taste, it's important to serve this BLT Pasta Salad as soon as it's been prepared. The longer it sits, the more the ingredients will begin to lose their freshness and texture.If you'd like to enjoy leftovers, only dress what will be eaten promptly. Keep the dressing, avocado, and salad separate to prevent the lettuce from wilting/becoming soggy and the avocado from browning.
Video
Notes
Note 1: Pasta: If you can, use a good quality pasta like Barilla. We've made this salad a bunch of times and for whatever reason, the cheaper or off-brand packages of rotini just don't measure up.Note 2: Dill: I use one .75 oz. packet and finely chop it all. Measure out 1/4 cup for the dressing and the rest for the salad. The dill adds so much flavor so unless you really hate dill, don't skip it!Note 3: Avocado: Avocados are a crucial ingredient in the salad and dressing so it's important to wait for perfectly ripe avocados before making this salad. A perfectly ripe avocado will feel similar to the tip of your nose. For the dressing, scoop out the avocado flesh and gently press in a measuring cup (don't mash it) for the perfect measurement.Note 4: To make ahead: Prep all of the ingredients in advance (except the avocado) and store them in separate containers in the fridge. Cut the avocado and assemble; then dress the salad just before serving.