BEST BLT Pasta Salad Recipe

Just in time for summer, this BEST BLT Pasta Salad recipe is delicious for any picnic, lunch, dinner, or a Memorial Day or Fourth of July potluck dish. If you love a good BLT salad, this recipe is made with your favorite pasta, tomatoes, bacon, avocado and English peas, with a delightful dressing. ENJOY!

Friends, it’s Monday! Today I’m sharing a super yummy BLT Pasta Salad Recipe that you’ll want to start making now–perfect for spring and summer entertaining. Perfect for picnics and potlucks and showers or for a weeknight meal.

BLT Salad

Of course I’m a lover of fresh dill and English peas, so combine it with pasta and bacon and tomatoes. Yes, please! :)

If you love a BLT salad or a BLT sandwich, then this recipe is for you!

I was thinking back to this quote I read years ago, “Try to make at least one person happy every day, and then in ten years you may have made three thousand, six hundred and fifty persons happy, or brightened a small town by your contribution to the fund of general enjoyment.” — Sydney Smith

One of the reasons I love to practice hospitality is not only because I enjoy it, but it makes people happy as well.

Celebrating life together

There’s nothing quite like eating and celebrating life together, in fact, you only need to think about these 3 things: The people, the food, and the way you want to serve the food.

We all need to eat, so food is a great reason why we come together.

Like a table covered in sumptuous, homemade food, I simply don’t know what to savor first. There are endless variations of flavor and texture. And like any real meal, it’s meant to be shared. It’s meant to give us reasons to come together and celebrate for years to come. –Roy Goble

A lovely reminder of a spring evening popped into my head this week. The guests arrived, everyone brought a dish, a bottle of wine, and within minutes we were mingling, catching up, introducing, sharing, and then sitting (for hours).

I made this delicious BLT Pasta Salad Recipe, and we served Barbecue Maple Chicken Kebabs, Summer Roasted Corn, and Pesto Asparaus Caprese Salad Recipe. Guests brought salads and desserts as well.

We mingled here, at this table. (You can also see Billy Balls for decor at this table.)

The reason my husband and I feel called to host so many gatherings is because we feel we have the space and time to invest in others. We entertain because we love people.

Oh, and don’t get caught in the weeds of hospitalty versus entertaining, just focus on the people and a style that works for you! Both words have tremendous meaning.

BLT Pasta Salad Recipe

Start off with your favorite pasta. I love to use Orecchiette, as I just love the way it looks and tastes in a salad, but you can also use bowtie pasta. We love whole wheat pasta (DeLallo brand) which has a nutty, amazing flavor.

The secret is in the sauce (dressing), right? I love that it has fresh lemon juice.

Add in the freshest ingredients that mingle well with bacon. For me, it’s fresh English peas and avocados and fresh dill.

Mix and serve and happy hosting! (Come back and tell me who you made happy with this salad! :))

BLT Pasta Salad Recipe

If you love a good BLT salad, this recipe is made with your favorite pasta, tomatoes, bacon, avocado and English peas, with a delightful dressing. (Best made with whole wheat pasta.)

Yield: 6-8

Total Time: 30 minutes

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Print Recipe

Ingredients:

• 10 slices bacon, cooked and chopped into one inch pieces
• 16 oz. Orecchiette whole wheat pasta (or small shells or bow tie – I use DeLallo)
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 2 avocados pitted, cut into chunks
• 10 oz. fresh English peas, cooked and drained (I buy at Trader Joe’s)

Directions:

1. Cook the bacon until crisp; set aside on a paper towel. Crumble when cooled.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions; strain and cool. Always use salt in the water (never oil).
3. In a small bowl, make the dressing–add the mayonnaise, lemon, salt, garlic powder, pepper and 1 tablespoon dill.
4. In a large bowl, add the cooled pasta, tomatoes, and peas. Toss to combine.
5. Add the dressing to the mixture; toss gently and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
6. Add in avocados right before serving (to not get mushy). Garnish with remaining fresh dill, and serve!

All images and text ©Sandy Coughlin for Reluctant Entertainer.

More salads to try: Summer Italian Spaghetti Salad Recipe or Summer Corn Salad [Spend with Pennies] or Strawberry Salad with Gorgonzola, Walnuts and Mint [Mom on Time Out].