The Best BLT Pasta Salad with Ranch Dressing
This BLT Pasta Salad with Ranch Dressing recipe is a crowd-pleaser summer BBQ side dish: with bacon, tomatoes, and NO mayo! This is the perfect side for your next grill out, it makes the perfect side salad.
Everyone will love this dish, it combines two classics into one fantastic recipe. It’s great to serve with burgers or hot dogs off the grill, and is light, creamy, and tangy. It’s a total crowd-pleaser!
This BLT Pasta Salad with Ranch Dressing is a fun take on a party side dish or appetizer! In the summers, we love having friends (and sometimes family if we’re lucky to have them in town) over to kick back, relax, and enjoy the great outdoors. And this BLT ranch pasta salad is the perfect side dish to take your BBQ to the next level.
This creamy dish is SO simple to make and is great to make ahead for your next party or holiday. It’s bright, fresh, tangy, and loaded with vegetables and rotini pasta.
This BLT Pasta Salad with Ranch Dressing Recipe Is
- Creamy
- Bright
- Fresh
- Tangy
- Satisfying
- A Crowd-Pleaser Side Dish
- A Fantastic Easy Make Ahead Appetizer
30 Minute Pasta Salad Recipes for Entertaining
This Ranch BLT Pasta Salad is what I call an Easy Entertaining Recipe – which is on your table in about 30 minutes. These quick and simple recipes are perfect for those last-minute potluck invites, or when you just want a healthy homecooked meal but don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen. I have a whole section of The Herbeevore dedicated to Easy Weeknight Meals, that are great for the whole family.
From soups and stews, to pastas and proteins – a healthy meal can be on your table in no time. Just as fast as grabbing a quick prepared side dish from the store (and way more impressive too)! If you’re heading to a party, potluck, or BBQ, check out my list of top host gifts for summer entertaining for that next-level gift your host will love!
What’s In This Ranch BLT Pasta Salad?
- Rotini Pasta: I used this rotini for a fun twist, but you can use any pasta of your choice. And if you’re gluten free or cooking for someone who may be, this great GF rotini can be found here.
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Fresh Spinach
- Crumbled Bacon or Bacon Bits: An essential element of the BLT, bacon adds a great salty flavor to this pasta salad and a nice crunch. You can use cooked bacon that you’ve crumbled, or these great bacon bits which are vegan and vegetarian, so anyone who is eating plant based can enjoy this pasta salad too.
- Ranch Dressing – I love this gluten free and vegan ranch dressing, which gives this salad an amazing flavor and creaminess! I prefer to use a dairy free ranch dressing if my pasta salads will be sitting outside or on the counter for a while… you don’t want to leave dairy at room temperature for long.
- Apple Cider Vinegar, which gives this dressing a little extra tang which is really fantastic! I love using this organic apple cider vinegar with the mother which has a great flavor. I think it gives a nice extra sweetness and depth.
- Italian Seasoning Blend: usually has thyme, basil, rosemary, parsley, etc. I love this bright and flavorful Italian season mix which brings this amazing dish to life.
- Salt & Pepper
A Great Make-Ahead BLT Pasta Salad for Entertaining
This fresh BLT pasta salad recipe is fantastic to make ahead of time for a party, potluck, or gathering. Making this recipe in advance allows you to skip any cooking or prep on the day-of. This is a great recipe to entertain with, or bring to an event… and the dressing tastes even better after being refrigerated overnight. A true crowd-pleaser that everyone is sure to love!
How Do I Make This Creamy BLT Pasta Salad Recipe?
- Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain in a colander and rinse pasta under cold water to cool noodles.
- Add pasta to a large bowl. Toss in tomatoes, spinach, and bacon crumbles.
- In a separate bowl add the ranch dressing, mayo, apple cider vinegar, Italian seasoning, and black pepper. Whisk well to combine, then pour dressing over the pasta salad. Toss until noodles are well coated in dressing and chill before serving.
Dietary Modifications for this Ranch BLT Pasta Salad Recipe
- To make this recipe gluten free, make sure you are using a gluten free pasta. They have some delicious gluten free rotini out there, which is a great option if you are entertaining a lot of people. That way if anyone has a gluten intolerance, they can enjoy too. And with any prepared dressing, make sure the ranch is certified gluten free as well.
- To make this recipe vegan or vegetarian, use plant-based bacon bits like these, and a dairy and egg free mayo and ranch dressing.
More Summer Pasta Salad Recipes You’ll Love!
Pasta Salad with Avocado Dressing Recipe (Vegan, Gluten Free)
Caprese Pasta Salad with Pesto Vinaigrette (Vegetarian, GF, Vegan Option)
Coleslaw Pasta Salad (Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free)
Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad Recipe (Vegetarian, Summer Side Dish)
The Absolute BEST Greek Pasta Salad (Vegan, Gluten Free Options)
BLT Pasta Salad with Ranch Dressing
Equipment
- Large Pot
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 16 ounces rotini pasta use gluten free for GF version
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved or quartered
- 3 cups fresh spinach chopped
- 1/2 cup cooked bacon crumbled, or bacon 1/2 cup vegan bacon bits
- 2/3 cup ranch dressing
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground Tellicherry Black Pepper
Instructions
- Cook rotini pasta according to package instructions. Drain in a colander and rinse pasta under cold water to cool noodles.
- Add pasta to a large bowl. Toss in tomatoes, spinach, and bacon crumbles.
- In a separate bowl add the ranch dressing, apple cider vinegar, Italian seasoning, and black pepper. Whisk well to combine, then pour dressing over the pasta salad.
- Toss until noodles are well coated in dressing and chill before serving.
Notes
Save Money on Fresh Groceries & Pantry Staples!
I get all the fresh produce for my recipes from my garden and from Misfits Market – they sell organic produce at a discounted price, and it’s purchased direct from farmers to reduce food waste. We get Misfit boxes every other week and love picking out our favorite seasonal produce for delivery. You can save up to 40% off grocery store prices. If you think produce delivery is too expensive… think again, and give Misfits Market a try!Nutrition
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This salad gets an A+