BLT Pasta Salad With Ranch Dressing

BLT pasta salad with ranch dressing, the best summer recipe and one of my absolute favourite salads. Satisfying enough to make a meal of its own, or the perfect side dish for a smokey BBQ, or a lovely picnic. Ah, don’t you just love quick recipes that taste just fabulous?

Salads season is just around the corner, and I’m so looking forward to it. Of course you can enjoy a big bowl of salad anytime of the year, but in summer you get the perfect excuse to spend as little time in the kitchen as possible.

Who wants a hot dish on a hot day? No way l’m staying in the kitchen, so preparing something quick is a must. After all, there’s so much to do outside. Oh, and since we are talking salads here, have you checked my Best ever Waldorf salad recipe? It’s been so popular lately.

If you like a BLT sandwich, you’ll love this salad: crispy bacon, fresh tomato and lettuce, good old nation’s favourite pasta and a finger-licking ranch dressing. I decided to get the ready-made dressing, rather than making it myself, sometimes shortcuts are just fine and you shouldn’t feel too bad about it. We do have busy lives, so there you go.

Pasta needs to be really cold for this salad, otherwise the ranch dressing will taste yucky. You can either cook pasta and leave it to cool down, or even better, use any leftover if you happen to have some.

Add some red onion too if you like, l did not use any as l don’t stomach raw onion too well. We love pasta, and l tend to make more than l should, l’m pretty bad at estimating how much is too much, and always end up with loads. Amy, my elder daughter seems to have a love and hate relationship with it, one day she eats it with both hands, other days she cries only at the sight of it. Terrible twos, hey!

Well, this is embarrassing, but not long ago l had no idea what BLT actually stands for, thank goodness for the Almighty Google that never lets us down. How did we survive without internet before, l have no idea ? Although sometimes l miss not being glued to my phone screen 24 hours a day, technology can be pretty addictive.

I feel old only thinking that when l was a child there was no such thing as mobile phones or computer. At least, l did not have any till high school. Not that l regret it, those were proper happy times. I wonder how we would spend our days if the high tech gadgets suddenly disappeared ?

BLT pasta salad is pretty popular, and l can see why. Easy to make, tasty and filling, it makes the ideal dish either for lunch or dinner. You can even make it the night before and store it in a plastic container, and that’s your lunch at work. IT can save you a few quids, salads are pretty expensive. Well, food in general is expensive, it’s crazy how a huge chunk of one’s salary goes on food alone. If only food was free…

If you’ve liked my BLT PASTA SALAD or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.

4.8 from 5 votes

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BLT Pasta Salad With Ranch Dressing

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

30 mins

 

BLT pasta salad with ranch dressing,a tasty and satisfying 20-minute recipe, perfect side dish for a smokey BBQ or a picnic. Also great as a packed lunch or quick dinner. 

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Servings: 2 people

Calories: 358 kcal

Author: Daniela Anderson

Ingredients

• 1/4 packet fussili pasta
• 2 tomatoes
• 4 rashes of bacon
• a handful of lettuce and spinach
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 cup ranch dressing

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Drain the water and set aside to cool.

2. Chop the tomatoes, lettuce and spinach.

3. Heat up a frying pan and cook the rashes of bacon on both sides until done.

4. Remove from the pan and tear them into small pieces.

5. In a bowl, add the pasta, tomatoes, lettuce, spinach and bacon, season with salt and pepper and add the ranch dressing.

6. Toss well to coat, then keep in the fridge until ready to serve.

Nutrition Facts

BLT Pasta Salad With Ranch Dressing

Amount Per Serving

Calories 358 Calories from Fat 297

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 33g 51%

Saturated Fat 8g 40%

Cholesterol 38mg 13%

Sodium 1207mg 50%

Potassium 397mg 11%

Total Carbohydrates 9g 3%

Dietary Fiber 1g 4%

Sugars 4g

Protein 7g 14%

Vitamin A 20.5%

Vitamin C 21.7%

Calcium 2.2%

Iron 3.9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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