this BLT Pasta Salad This was an idea that came to me after Tony and I started making amazing BLT sandwiches with avocado for lunch. I started thinking about how great it would be if I broke it down into a pasta salad. One bite and I was in love.
The jalapeño cashew dressing adds a delicious, ambitious flavor. Instead of salad dressings made with ranch or sour cream or mayonnaise, you’re throwing everything together in a creamy, dairy-free dressing that has a little heat and coats every nook and cranny of the pasta.
Enjoy this amazing pasta salad for dinner, lunch, or as a side dish at your next barbecue!
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BLT Pasta Salad Ingredients
This easy BLT pasta salad is basically made up of your favorite pasta, fresh summer vegetables, and a simple cashew sauce that you’ll totally fall in love with. Here’s what you need:
- Jalapeno Cashew Dressing: We’re using this creamy homemade dressing. It’s so flavorful and dairy-free that it’s amazing! See you later, ranch dressing mix.
- bacon: B in BLT, baby! Bacon adds a salty and crunchy texture to pasta salad. You can also use turkey bacon if you prefer.
- pasta: I recommend using a bowtie (aka farfalle) or a large shell to help the dressing get into all the nooks and crannies.
- vegetable: We mix in fresh corn (great roasted, raw, or sautéed), juicy cherry tomatoes, avocado for creaminess, red onion for a little chew, and romaine lettuce for a crunchy texture.
How to Cook the Best Bacon
You can cook bacon directly on the stovetop, but if you want to avoid a full burner (and a mess), learn how to cook bacon in the oven here! It will be perfectly crunchy and delicious in this BLT pasta salad.
Customize Your Healthy BLT Pasta Salad
One of the best things about this easy dairy-free BLT pasta salad? Perfect for customizing it to suit your guests’ needs or leveraging what you have on hand. Here’s what I can suggest:
- Choose your bacon: Make this salad vegan and vegetarian by replacing the regular bacon with turkey bacon or omitting it.
- Add protein: Roasted chicken or canned rinsed and drained chickpeas are perfect for an extra boost of protein.
- Use your favorite pasta: Elbow macaroni or rotini pasta would be really delicious, but feel free to use any pasta you like (even gluten-free).
- Top with cheese: For a more zesty taste, sprinkle with shredded sharp cheddar, parmesan, or feta cheese.
- Do you miss bread? If you’re missing the toasted bread of your favorite BLT sandwich, try these fun croutons!
Let’s talk about dressing
As I mentioned earlier, we’re lightening up this pasta salad with a dairy-free jalapeño cashew dressing that you’re going to love.
If you don’t want to add nuts to your salad, you can always use this homemade ranch dressing instead. Feel free to add jalapeños to your dressing, or try adding sliced jalapeños to your pasta salad.
Tips for making the perfect BLT pasta salad every time
With just a few tips and tricks, I guarantee you’ll fall in love with this delicious pasta salad recipe.
- Don’t overcook the pasta. It’s a good idea to cook the pasta just until al dente so it doesn’t turn mushy in the salad. Drain the pasta and submerge it in cold water to stop cooking and allow to cool before adding the remaining ingredients.
- Use the right avocado. Choose avocados that are ripe but still firm so the cubes don’t fall apart in your salad.
- Roast the corn. Yes, you could easily use raw, canned, or thawed frozen corn in this recipe, but I’m obsessed with the flavor that roasted corn adds. Learn how to roast corn here!
storage tips
This BLT pasta salad will stay fresh in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days. It’s delicious even when made in advance, so you can prepare it the night before a picnic or barbecue, or you can prepare it for lunch on a weekday. We recommend adding the avocado when ready to serve to maintain freshness.
Make it in advance
This pasta salad can easily be made a few days ahead and stored in the fridge! Avocados and romaine lose freshness the fastest, so it’s best to leave them out of the salad until you’re ready to serve them.
You can also chop up all the vegetables, cook the pasta and bacon, make the dressing, and store it in a separate container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble it all!
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I hope you like this BLT Pasta Salad recipe! If you made it, be sure to leave a comment so I know you liked it. Enjoy, X!
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ambitious kitchen
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125 Incredibly Healthy, Sometimes Indulgent, and Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
BLT Pasta Salad with Jalapeño Cashew Dressing
by
This super delicious BLT pasta salad is made with fresh summer produce and crispy bacon. Add delicious flavor to your favorite sandwich by tossing this healthy BLT pasta salad recipe with creamy, dairy-free jalapeño cashew dressing. Perfect for potlucks, barbecues, and healthy lunches or dinners!
ingredient
- 1 Batch of Jalapeño Cashew Cream Dressing
- For pasta salad:
- 12 oz. bacon
- 10 oz. Pasta of your choice (we suggest gluten-free, bowtie or large shell if desired)
- 1 ½ cup Corn, roasted, raw or roasted
- 1 pint Cherry tomatoes, halved (I like to use heirloom cherry tomatoes for a variety of colors)
- ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 2-4 cup Chopped Romaine Lettuce
- 1 Semi-ripe but still firm avocado, finely chopped
guideline
While the cashews are soaking in the dressing, you’ll want to prepare all your vegetables by chopping them up. You can also cook bacon. Place the bacon in a large skillet or skillet over medium heat and cook the bacon until crispy and golden brown on both sides. If at any point the pan starts to smoke, lower the heat. I always cook my bacon over medium-low heat. Once the bacon is cooked, wipe off the grease with a paper towel, then cut into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
Next, boil the pasta until al dente, drain and place in a large bowl. Add all of the Jalapeño Cashew Dressing and then stir together to combine. Next, add chopped bacon, corn (I prefer grilled or sautéed), half a cherry tomato, sliced red onion, romaine lettuce, and avocado. Gently toss again, then taste and adjust seasoning as needed, adding more salt and pepper if desired. Serves 6 or 4 as a larger meal. Garnish with extra corn, tomatoes, red onion, avocado, and bacon.
Recipe Notes
See the full post for delicious and easy customization instructions!
nutrition
clothing material: 1Servings (of 6)calorie: 451knifecarbohydrate: 54.2gprotein: 18.6gprovince: 19.5gSaturated Fat: 3.9gfiber: 7.4gsugar: 7.3g
Recipe by Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photo: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on July 30, 2020, republished on June 24, 2022, republished on May 16, 2023, and republished on May 12, 2026.
