Beef Bacon BLT Pasta Salad
This Beef Bacon BLT Pasta Salad is everything you could ever want in a pasta salad. Tender pasta noodles are tossed with crispy and salty beef bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion and mayo. It’s creamy, so good, and full of flavor – just like your favorite BLT sandwich. Ready in 20 minutes, this easy BLT pasta salad is the perfect summer side dish, and it keeps in the fridge for a couple of days.
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Why This Recipe is So Good
This 20-minute BLT pasta salad is definitely a keeper. A family favorite that everyone will love to enjoy all summer long. It stays good in the fridge for a couple of days, and it’s so quick to prep.
Beef bacon. Whether you don’t eat pork or are just looking for a bacon alternative to turkey bacon, this beef bacon really takes this BLT pasta salad to the next level. It’s crispy and fatty with a bold beefy meat flavor.
This bacon, lettuce, and tomato pasta salad is quick and easy to prep for picnics and BBQs, served with Smoked Beef Hot Dogs in an Electric Smoker (Masterbuilt) or alongside this 4-Ingredient Macaroni Salad Recipe or Orzo Pesto Pasta Salad. Or simply keep it in the fridge for easy lunches or weeknight dinners. This recipe serves 4, so you definitely would want to double or triple this recipe if serving a crowd.
Recipe Ingredients
- Beef bacon. The bacon is really the best part. Beef bacon is bacon made from the belly of the cow. It’s crispy, beefy, salty and so good. If you don’t eat pork, this bacon tastes super close to it. Turkey bacon can also be used to add a good BLT flavor to this pasta salad.
- Pasta. I used Einkorn fusilli noodles. Rotini, macaroni noodles, bow ties, really whatever pasta shape you like, can work for this pasta salad. The biggest thing is not to overcook the pasta.
- Mayo. This BLT pasta salad is made with regular mayo. Other dressing alternatives could be this homemade Caesar salad dressing without anchovies or homemade or store-bought ranch dressing. Either way, the mayo adds a nice creaminess to this pasta salad that’s so good.
- Vinegar. A splash of white vinegar or banana pepper brine helps to cut through the creaminess of the mayo and the savouriness of the bacon. Just a little bit makes all the difference.
How to Make Beef Bacon BLT Pasta Salad
All ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Boil pasta
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Don’t overcook. Cook just until tender, but the pasta still has some bite to it.
Drain hot water and rinse pasta with cold water. Transfer the cooked pasta to a large bowl. Cover and set aside.
Bake bacon
While the pasta is boiling, cook the bacon in the oven. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil, then line with beef bacon. It’s ok if the pieces overlap, the bacon will shrink a lot in the oven.
Bake until it reaches your desired level of crispiness. Keep a close eye on it because it can burn quickly. Transfer cooked bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain, then once cool, crumble into large-ish pieces.
Make pasta salad
To the bowl of cooked pasta, add chopped tomato, lettuce, finely diced red onion, mayo, vinegar, and crumbled bacon(I used 6 slices). Stir pasta salad until everything is combined and coated in mayo. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until completely chilled, before enjoying.
Looking For More Recipes with Beef Bacon?
- The Best Beef Bacon BLT Sandwich
- Chicken and Bacon Caesar Pasta Salad with Beef Bacon
- Easy Beef Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs with Beef Bacon
- Air Fryer Beef Bacon (Ninja Foodi)
- Beef Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies
- Bacon Caesar Salad
- Bacon Wrapped Asparagus in the Air Fryer
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Beef Bacon BLT Pasta Salad
Equipment
- Sheet pan lined with aluminum foil
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups rotini pasta or 1 cup macaroni noodles. I used einkorn fusilli pasta
- 8 ounces beef bacon about 8 slices, I used 6 slices
- 1 small tomato diced
- 2 – 3 cups green leaf lettuce roughly chopped about 1/2 small head of lettuce
- 2 – 3 tablespoons red onion finely chopped
- 4 tablespoons mayo
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar or banana pepper brine
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Boil pasta
- Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Don’t overcook. Cook just until tender, but the pasta still has some bite to it.1 ½ cups rotini pasta
- Drain hot water and rinse pasta with cold water. Transfer the cooked pasta to a large bowl. Cover and set aside.
Bake bacon
- While the pasta is boiling, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil, then line with beef bacon. It’s ok if the pieces touch, the bacon will shrink a lot in the oven.8 ounces beef bacon
- Bake for 10 – 15 minutes or until it reaches your desired level of crispiness. Keep a close eye on it because it can burn quickly. Transfer cooked bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain, then once cool, crumble into large-ish pieces.
Make pasta salad
- To the bowl of cooked pasta, add chopped tomato, lettuce, finely diced red onion, mayo, vinegar, and crumbled bacon(I used 6 slices). Stir pasta salad until everything is combined and coated in mayo. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until completely chilled, before enjoying.1 small tomato, 2 – 3 cups green leaf lettuce, 2 – 3 tablespoons red onion, 4 tablespoons mayo, 1 tablespoon white vinegar, Salt and pepper to taste
Notes
How To Store/ Make Ahead
Store BLT pasta salad tightly covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.Tips and Tricks
- Don’t overcook pasta – Cook it only until it is al dente or with some bite to it; you don’t want mushy pasta. Rinse the pasta as soon as it’s finished cooking to stop the cooking process. This is also important because warm pasta soaks up the mayo and vinegar more easily, making it softer.
- Add bacon just before serving so it stays crisp and crunchy.
- Pasta – I used fusilli pasta made with einkorn flour, but regular macaroni noodles are totally fine as well. Make it gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta.
- Mayo – Make it vegan by using vegan mayo. Or switch things up by using homemade or store-bought ranch dressing or Caesar salad dressing instead of plain mayo.
