BLT Pasta Salad Recipe

If you love a good BLT sandwich, or perhaps a BLTA (BLT plus avocado!), then this pasta salad is definitely for you. BLTs are such a simple, classic sandwich combining bacon, lettuce, and tomato. The bacon adds a great source of protein and flavor, while lettuce and tomato add crunch and texture. To take it even further, BLTs are often made with mayo or mustard and sometimes enhanced with the addition of avocado and turkey. It's truly a go-to found at most sandwich shops.

Now, you can make a pasta salad version of your favorite BLT in just a few easy steps. "With bow tie farfalle pasta as a base, a tangy dressing, and the addition of chopped bacon, arugula, tomatoes, and avocado, this is such a great dish for any occasion," says food photographer Petar Marshall. This BLT pasta salad recipe is ideal for a summertime dinner, a backyard barbecue, or even a potluck. With such great flavor and pops of color in the dish, other potluck goers will certainly be asking for the recipe!

For this BLT pasta salad, you'll need one box of farfalle (AKA bowtie) pasta, one chopped avocado, 1 cup of arugula, one container of cherry tomatoes, sliced, mayonnaise, yellow mustard, Dijon mustard, 1 cup of chopped bacon, and salt and pepper to taste.

"I chose to use arugula for this recipe because of the great punch of flavor it adds," says Marshall. "Feel free to swap it out for romaine or another lettuce, if preferred." Another great tip? Cook your bacon ahead of time or swap it out for bacon bits for easier prep. 

To get started on this pasta salad recipe, first cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a boil on the stove top, pour in the entire box, and cook it until tender. When the pasta is cooked, strain it in a colander and rinse it with cold water. Dump the cooked pasta into a large bowl and put it in the fridge to cool while you prepare the dressing. 

While the pasta cools, mix the dressing. Add the mayonnaise, yellow mustard, and Dijon mustard into a bowl, and mix to combine. Give it a little taste, then add salt and pepper as needed. "If you like your pasta salad with a bit more tang, add in additional Dijon," suggests Marshall. 

With the dressing ready, remove the bowl of pasta from the fridge. Stir in all of the dressing, and then mix in the arugula and the chopped bacon. 

With the arugula and bacon mixed in, add in the chopped avocado and sliced cherry tomatoes next. Mix in all of the ingredients until well combined. Serve the pasta salad immediately, or transfer it back to the fridge and allow it to chill to serve later.

This pasta salad would work wonderfully as a side dish with burgers, hot dogs, or at your next backyard barbecue!