BLT Pasta Salad
This BLT pasta salad recipe is the ultimate summer salad and has an irresistible creamy pesto dressing! It's a fun twist on BLTs that is a must-have at BBQs and picnics.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 16 ounces uncooked DeLallo Shellbows
- 6 strips bacon cut into small pieces
- 4 cups chopped lettuce romaine or iceberg
- 10 ounces little tomatoes (grape, cherry, etc.) cut into halves
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion
- Salt & pepper to taste
Dressing:
- 1 tablespoon bacon fat from frying the bacon
- 1 cup mayo
- 2 tablespoons DeLallo Simply Pesto
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 clove garlic minced
Instructions
- Boil a large, salted pot of water for the shellbows pasta and cook it al dente according to package directions. Once it's done, drain it and then let it cool in a colander.
- Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a skillet until crispy. Once it's cooked, reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat and add it to a small bowl that you will make the dressing in, then transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate.
- Add the remaining dressing ingredients to the bowl with the bacon fat and stir until smooth.
- Once the pasta is cool, transfer it to a large salad bowl and add the remaining salad ingredients.
- Pour the dressing over top, toss, then taste and season with salt & pepper as needed. Serve immediately.