Description
A flavorful and easy-to-make BLT Pasta Salad combining crispy bacon, fresh vegetables, cheddar cheese, and a creamy Hidden Valley Ranch dressing. Perfect for gatherings or a quick meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta Salad Ingredients
- 1 16-ounce box Rotini Pasta cooked, drained, and rinsed with cold water
- 13 slices bacon cooked and chopped
- ½ large red onion finely diced
- 1½ cups cheddar cheese cut into cubes
- 2 cups romaine lettuce cut or torn into bite size pieces
- 1 avocado cut into small pieces
- 1½ cups cherry tomatoes cut in half
- ¼ cup parsley chopped
Dressing Ingredients
- 1 1-ounce packet Hidden Valley Dressing Mix dry
- 1½ cups mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
Instructions
- Prepare the Dressing: In a medium mixing bowl, combine dry Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix, mayonnaise, and sour cream. Whisk together until smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
- Cook the Pasta: Cook rotini pasta according to package directions. Drain the pasta, rinse with cold water to cool it down, and drain again thoroughly. Transfer the pasta to a large mixing bowl.
- Combine Salad Ingredients: Add cooked and chopped bacon, finely diced red onion, cheddar cheese cubes, avocado pieces, halved cherry tomatoes, chopped parsley, and bite-sized romaine lettuce to the bowl with pasta.
- Toss the Salad: Pour the prepared dressing over the salad ingredients. Using tongs, gently toss everything together until well coated with dressing.
- Serve Immediately: Serve the BLT Pasta Salad right away for best texture and freshness, especially to keep the romaine lettuce crisp.
Notes
- Romaine lettuce does not hold up well in this salad, so serve immediately or add the lettuce and dressing just before serving.
- If you have leftovers, store the salad tightly sealed in the refrigerator and consume within 24 hours.
- This recipe makes a large mixing bowl full of salad; halve the ingredient amounts if serving fewer people.
- You can shred the cheddar cheese instead of cubing it if preferred for easier mixing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg
