BLT Avocado Pasta Salad

This BLT Avocado Pasta Salad is a summer favorite! It’s perfect for all your picnics, BBQ’s and summer get-togethers. It’s got no mayo, and it’s loaded with fresh summer tomatoes, tons of bacon, peppery arugula and avocado!

I don’t know about you folks, but when summer rolls around, the pasta salads start to hit the table at our house. My Gram’s Easy Macaroni Salad and my Tortellini, Roasted Tomato and Salami Salad are two of my favorites here at the BHK.

They’re great for parties because they’re easily customizable, a delicious way to use all the gorgeous veggies summer has to offer and they always feed a crowd.

I know the traditional BLT has mayo, but I decided to go mayo-less. I wanted to have a salad recipe for summer parties that people who don’t like mayo would enjoy and a salad that wouldn’t spoil as quickly as salads with mayo tend to.

Step-By-Step Instructions

This pasta salad is ridiculously easy to make.

First, you’ll dice up your bacon and cook it in a skillet until it’s crispy.

Then you’ll make your dressing by combining some olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic and spices in a jar and shake well.

Next up is to cook your pasta in salted water for added flavor until al dente. I used this adorable De Cecco Racchette pasta. Once the pasta is done cooking, you’ll drain it in a colander and run the pasta under cold water and set aside and let cool for about five minutes. I add about 2 tablespoons of the dressing at this point to prevent sticking.

While the pasta is cooling, you can cut your avocado, tomatoes and red onion.

The final step is to add all your ingredients to a large bowl and toss with the dressing. You’ll want to chill the pasta salad for about 30 minutes before serving so all the flavors meld together.

I hope you gups give this pasta salad a try for your next summer get-together. It’s a delicious option for lunch or dinner this summer! If you’re a BLT fan you’re sure to LOVE it!

Please let me know if you give the recipe a try. And if you have any questions about the recipe, just drop a comment below. Enjoy!

BLT Avocado Pasta Salad

Author: MaryAnn Dwyer

Servings: 8 servings

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This BLT Avocado Pasta Salad is a summer favorite! It's perfect for all your picnics, BBQ's and summer get-togethers. It's got no mayo, and it's loaded with fresh summer tomatoes, tons of bacon, peppery arugula and avocado!

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Ingredients  

Dressing

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp. dried oregano
• 2 tsp. granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper

Pasta Salad

• 1 lb. bacon, diced
• 1 lb. dried short pasta, like penne, rotini or small shells
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 2 ripe avocados, diced
• 1/3 cup red onion, slice and roughly chopped
• 2 cups baby arugula

Instructions 

Dressing

• Add all the dressing ingredients to a jar and shake well. Set aside.

Pasta Salad

• In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium-high heat until crispy. Remove from skillet with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside.
• Cook pasta in salted water, al dente according to package directions. Drain the pasta in a colander then run the pasta under cold water and set aside and let cool for about five minutes. I add about 2 tablespoons of the dressing at this point to prevent sticking.
• Add the pasta, bacon, tomatoes, avocado, red onion and arugula to a large bowl and toss with the dressing, reserving a smidge for leftovers, if desired. You’ll want to chill the pasta salad for about 30 minutes before serving so all the flavors meld together.

Notes

I used a novelty pasta called racchette by De Cecco, but you could used penne, elbows or medium shells for this recipe too.

This salad will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days. If you'd like you can save a small amount of the dressing for any leftovers you may have.

I used arugula for this recipe because I love it, but you could also use chopped romaine or iceberg lettuce.

Keyword: arugula, avocado, Bacon, BLT, salad, tomatoes

Cuisine: American

Course: Salad