Effortless BLT Pasta Salad (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Salad Ingredients
01 -
1/4 red onion
02 -
1 pint grape tomatoes
03 -
8 oz. bacon
04 -
2 cups fresh spinach (packed)
05 -
12 oz. bowtie pasta
→ Dressing
06 -
2 Tbsp lemon juice
07 -
1/4 tsp freshly cracked pepper
08 -
1/2 tsp salt
09 -
3/4 cup mayonnaise
10 -
1/4 cup ranch dressing
# Instructions:
01 -
Pop the bacon in a big pan and cook it over medium heat until it's golden and crisp. Move it to a plate lined with paper towels to soak up extra grease and let it cool. Once cool, crumble or chop it into pieces.
02 -
While your bacon's in the pan, whip up the dressing. Toss the mayo, ranch, lemon juice, salt, and cracked pepper into a bowl. Mix until smooth and set aside for later.
03 -
Grab a big pot, fill it with water, add some salt, and let it boil. Throw in the bowtie pasta and cook for 7 to 8 minutes until it's nice and soft. Drain it in a colander, give it a quick rinse with cool water to stop it from cooking, and let it sit and drain completely.
04 -
While the pasta cools off, get the veggies ready. Chop up the spinach roughly, cut the grape tomatoes in half, and finely chop the red onion.
05 -
Once the pasta's not too wet and a bit cool, toss it into a big bowl with the veggies, crumbled bacon, and dressing. Mix everything up so it’s nicely coated. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes for the flavors to mix well. Stir one more time, then it’s ready to serve.
# Notes:
01 -
This dish is awesome for summer parties, cookouts, and outdoor meals.
02 -
You can make this a day or two early and stash it in the fridge. To keep the spinach fresh, add it just before serving.
03 -
If you'd like it lighter, swap out some mayo for Greek yogurt.
04 -
This makes about 8 cups, with each serving being 1 cup.