BLT Pasta

My favorite sandwich in the world is a good BLT – slightly crispy bacon, garden tomato, fresh lettuce, on toasted sourdough bread with a little mayo! When I read my recent Southern Living Magazine and saw the BLT Pasta Salad they shared, I knew I had to try it! It’s a spin-off from the sandwich and we loved it! I served it as the main dish for our supper the first night, and then as a side dish after that. This is so versatile, scrumptious, and had all the flavors of that delicious BLT!

I tweaked the recipe to make it a bit less fattening and I’ll share those changes following the recipe. Here’s their full recipe from their site…

BLT Pasta Salad

• Step 1. Prepare the breadcrumbs: Melt the butter in a skillet, add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown.
• Step 2. Build the salad: Whisk together mayo, milk, ranch dressing mix, and Dijon mustard in a large bowl. Add cooked pasta, bacon, and all the veggies. Toss to combine. Top the salad with the breadcrumbs and sliced scallions when ready to serve.

Toss the cooked, drained noodles with a little bit of olive oil to prevent sticking.

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. garlic-and-herb butter 
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 1 (1-oz.) envelope ranch dressing mix
• 4 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 (16-oz.) pkg. farfalle pasta, cooked al dente and cooled
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions, plus more for garnish
• 2 1/2 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce (from 1 romaine heart)
• 1 lb. thick-cut bacon, cooked and chopped
• 2 cups assorted grape tomatoes, halved

Directions

1. Make breadcrumbs:Heat butter in a small skillet over medium until melted and bubbly. Add panko, and cook, stirring often, until toasted, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl, and set aside.
2. Make dressing:Whisk together mayonnaise, milk, ranch dressing mix, and Dijon mustard in a large bowl.
3. Finish salad: Add cooked pasta, scallions, lettuce, bacon, and tomatoes; toss gently until combined and coated with dressing. Sprinkle with toasted panko and additional sliced scallions just before serving.

My changes – I left off the whole breadcrumb mixture. I’m sure it’s a delicious added crunch, but it was great without it! I also used 2% milk, half the amount of Mayo and half the amount of bacon. I know, I know…bacon is a main ingredient, but it was just as much a BLT without a whole pound of it!

This is a terrific end of the summer recipe if you have lots of tomatoes from your garden! I’m looking for ALL those kind of recipes right now because our cherry and grape tomatoes are really producing.

I hope you’ll give this yummy dish a try!