Packed with tender pasta, a creamy ranch dressing, and BLT fixings, your favorite sandwich gets a makeover in with this easy BLT Pasta Salad!
BLT Pasta Salad … with Ranch!
Packed with tender pasta, a creamy ranch dressing, and BLT fixings, your favorite sandwich gets a makeover in this easy pasta dish!
If you like pasta and love BLT’s, then this bacon ranch pasta salad was made for you! It has all of the flavors of the sandwich, such as bacon, lettuce and tomato, topped with a creamy ranch dressing mixture that is sure to make you dream of summer all year long.
Not only is this BLT Pasta Salad the perfect side to bring to those summer gatherings, but it’s also so easy to make, too!
You knew that was coming, right? From start to finish, you can have this dish made in less than a half hour. And that means more time to spend outside and less time being cooped up in the kitchen. It’s kind of a win-win situation in my book!

Ingredients in BLT Pasta Salad
As promised, this BLT pasta salad with ranch dressing is easy peasy and requires minimal ingredients.
Here’s what you’ll need to make the BLT salad with pasta:
- Plain Greek yogurt
- Mayonnaise
- Dry ranch dressing mix
- Pasta
- Cherry tomatoes
- Bacon
- Romaine lettuce
- Salt and pepper
How to Make BLT Pasta Salad
One bite of the BLT Pasta Salad and you’ll want to make this all year long! The BLT flavors and zesty ranch dressing are the perfect topping for the tender pasta.
And because it’s so easy to whip up, you have no excuse not to make this for parties, graduations, or just when you’re in the mood for a delicious pasta salad. Here’s how the easy BLT pasta salad recipe comes together:
- Make the ranch dressing and refrigerate for at least an hour (or overnight) so that the flavors blend together.
- Prepare the bacon, slice the tomatoes, and chop the lettuce.
- Toss the BLT toppings with some cooked pasta, mix in the ranch dressing, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
What’s the Best Pasta for Pasta Salad?
Because this bacon ranch pasta salad has lots of hefty mix-ins, I recommend using a short, sturdy pasta for this recipe. Something like elbow macaroni, penne, or rotini would be best.
Can I Prep This BLT Pasta Salad in Advance?
To ensure this remains a creamy pasta salad, I recommend waiting to add the dressing and lettuce until just before you serve it. Otherwise you’ll wind up with a soggy BLT pasta salad.
However, you’re welcome to cook the pasta and chop up the veggies ahead of time so you can quickly throw the salad together later!
Storage Instructions
Once the ranch dressing is mixed into the pasta salad, you’ll need to consume it within four days. Store the BLT salad with pasta in an airtight container in the fridge.
I do NOT recommend freezing pasta salad. Between the raw veggies and the ranch-coated pasta, the salad would change texture once frozen.

Ingredient Substitutions
This is a very easy BLT pasta salad recipe with a short ingredients list. However, there are some swaps you can make, if desired.
- Pasta: Use whole wheat or gluten-free pasta instead of regular.
- Ranch dressing mix: Use 1 cup pre-bottled ranch dressing instead of making your own using the ranch dressing mix.
- Greek yogurt / mayo: Feel free to use all Greek yogurt or all mayo.
- Cherry tomatoes: Use finely diced regular tomatoes or grape tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes.
Tips for Making BLT Pasta Salad
- The dressing is a mixture of Greek yogurt, mayonnaise and dry ranch dressing mix, which keeps it on the lighter side. But if you’re not a fan of Greek yogurt, feel free to swap it out with mayonnaise.
- I used regular pork bacon in this pasta salad with ranch dressing, but you’re welcome to use any bacon you’d like.
- Be sure to salt your pasta water so that the pasta itself has some flavor to it. You don’t want to serve a bland pasta salad!
What to Serve with BLT Pasta Salad
This pasta BLT salad recipe pairs well with your favorite sandwiches, burgers, wraps, and bbq dishes. Here are some entrees that pair well with this BLT salad with pasta:
- Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken
- Instant Pot Sloppy Joes
- BBQ Pulled Pork
- Turkey Panini
- Grilled Haddock Sandwich
So what are you waiting for? Grab those ingredients and whip up this BLT Ranch Pasta Salad for your next party!
Looking for more pasta salad recipes? I’ve got you covered!
- Easy Italian Pasta Salad
- Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
- Caprese Pasta Salad
- Roasted Mushroom and Tomato Pasta Salad
- Cherry Balsamic Pasta Salad
- Pizza Pasta Salad
BLT Ranch Pasta Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ (of 1.0 ounce) package dry Ranch dressing mix
- 16 ounces pasta
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes , quartered
- 10 slices bacon , drained, cooked, and crumbled
- 2 cups romaine or iceberg lettuce , chopped
- Salt and pepper , to taste
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, and dressing mix. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
- In a large pot, cook pasta until al dente. Remove from heat, drain, and rinse under cold water.
- Add tomatoes and bacon. Stir well to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Add lettuce and dressing just before serving so that it does not become too soggy.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- It's best to add the dressing to the salad right before serving so that it stays creamy.
Jess @ whatjessicabakednext says
This ranch pasta salad looks delicious, Gayle! 😀
Gayle says
Thank you, Jess!
Mir says
You make the creamiest, most colorful recipes! And you also make pasta salad in such original flavors. I am full of admiration here!
Gayle says
Thanks so much for the salad love, Mir!
Erin @ Miss Scrambled Egg says
This sounds like something my family would adore. Although I stray away from mayo, I could totally surprise my family with this pasta salad. Your photographs are perfect. 🙂
Gayle says
This salad has a combo of greek yogurt and mayo, Erin! But I’m sure you could swap the may entirely for greek yogurt!
Liz @ Floating Kitchen says
Oh BLT’s are totally my favorite summer sandwich! And now you’ve put it in a big bowl with carbs! This is why we are friends. Amazing. I wish I had some right now (yes at 7am!).
Gayle says
Haha I would totally eat this for breakfast too, Liz! It’s too good not to!
Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness says
My favorite salad has been pasta-fied! This salad is SO perfect for all those Summer BBQ Sessions coming up! You can never go wrong with bacon! Pinned!
Gayle says
Bacon is the best! Thanks for the pin, Taylor!
Sarah @Whole and Heavenly Oven says
Oh my gosh. This salad TOTALLY looks like it came straight from a fancy deli! Seriously swooning over how amazing this looks, Gayle! Stunning photos, girlie!
Gayle says
Thanks so much for the kind words, Sarah!
Kelly - Life Made Sweeter says
I love that you made a BLT pasta salad! Such a delicious idea and it looks incredible! So creamy and flavorful and would be perfect for all those summer picnics and barbecues!
Gayle says
Thank you, Kelly! I plan on taking this to a lot of get-togethers this summer!
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
Gayle, I LOVE this BLT Ranch Pasta Salad! every year for Memorial Day, I make pretty much the same pasta salad and change up the mix-ins sometimes. . but I’m going to make this!!!! love the greek yogurt and Ranch dressing mix!!!
Gayle says
Thanks, Alice! The combination of greek yogurt and mayo makes this pasta a teeny bit healthier! Which means you can eat more pasta, right? 🙂
annascuisine says
Wow! This looks absolutely appetizing!
Gayle says
Thanks for the kind words and for stopping by, Anna!
Kelly // The Pretty Bee: Cooking & Creating says
This looks like a great summer dish! I love easy salads for summertime!
Gayle says
Thank you, Kelly!
Sam@SugarSpunRun says
Love that you made the BLT into a salad! With pasta and ranch… you are a genius, this looks so good!
Gayle says
Haha thanks, Sam! Ranch makes everything better in my book! 🙂
Ceara @ Ceara's Kitchen says
I love ranch style pasta salads, Gayle!! Your photos are absolutely gorgeous 🙂 This sounds like such a fun salad for Summer!!! 🙂
Gayle says
Thanks so much for the salad love, Ceara!
Jen says
This salad is perfect for Memorial Day, Gayle. Love anything ranch and bacon. And the idea of using Greek yogurt with the ranch mix is a delicious one!
Gayle says
Thank you, Jen!
marcie says
I do love BLT’s, so I love this pasta salad twist! This looks so creamy and full of fresh flavor — and plenty of bacon, which is most important. 🙂
Gayle says
Thank you, Marcie! Extra bacon is definitely a necessity!
Annie @ ciaochowbambina says
You can see the creaminess and almost taste the deliciousness of this salad through the screen! This will be added to my summer salad repertoire! Love it! Pinned!
Gayle says
Thanks so much for the kind words and pin, Annie! I hope you love it if you try it!
mira says
Yeah,BLT, ranch and pasta – so many great things in this salad! Love it! And need to try it of course! Pinned!
Gayle says
Thanks, Mira! It’s such a delicious combination!
Mariah @ Mariah's Pleasing Plates says
Love that you lightened up the dressing with greek yogurt!
This looks like a perfect summer side dish! (Yummed and Pinned!)
Gayle says
Thank you, Mariah! I think it’s the pasta salad of the summer for me! 🙂
Zainab says
I am all game for a new side salad dish!! Somehow I always get asked to bring a side and dessert. Love love this pasta salad with all the crunchy bacon 🙂
Gayle says
Thanks, Zainab! This would definitely wow all the crowds at parties!
Olivia @ Olivia's Cuisine says
AMAZING pictures, Gayle! The kind that makes me wanna reach to the screen and grab the bowl. (Oh how I wish technology was that advanced…)
Gayle says
Thanks, Olivia! Hopefully one day we will be able to do that! 🙂
Stacey @ Bake.Eat.Repeat. says
Love the combination of BLT with pasta salad, this looks absolutely perfect for those backyard BBQ’s that will be starting up soon!
Gayle says
Thank you, Stacey!
Cyndi - My Kitchen Craze says
Oh man Gayle this pasta is calling my name!! I need to make this today! Looks so creamy and delicious! Going on my menu asap! Pinned! 🙂
Gayle says
Thanks, Cyndi! I think you would love it!
Medha @ Whisk & Shout says
Wow, this is the creamiest pasta salad! Ever! Looks sooooo addictingly good.
Gayle says
Thanks, Medha!
Natalie @ Tastes Lovely says
This is so the pasta salad for me! I love pasta salads, they’re my favorite part of BBQ potlucks. Well, them and the burgers of course : )
Gayle says
Me too, Natalie! Thanks!
Rachelle @ Beer Girl Cooks says
This BLT Pasta Salad is right up my alley! Easy, fast, and getting me out of the kitchen and into the backyard barbeque is what I’m talking about! I love those little pasta shapes too!
Gayle says
Thank you, Rachelle!
Neli @ Delicious Meets Healthy says
What a delicious idea for summer picnics and cookouts! It looks so flavorful and delicious! If a meal has bacon, it’s a winner! 🙂
Gayle says
Thank you, Neli! This pasta salad definitely hit the spot in my house!
Michele @ Two Raspberries says
pasta salads are my FAVORITE! but I have never tried it with lettuce combined in it! it sounds de-lish I’m going to try that next time 😉
Gayle says
Thanks, Michele! I hope you love it if you try it!
Annie @Maebells says
This looks SO GOOD! BLTs are my favorite so I know I would love this!
Gayle says
Thanks, Annie! This is my new favorite salad!
Helen @ Scrummy Lane says
Pretty photos, Gayle!
I just couldn’t say no to a big scoop of this at your next BBQ! You can’t really go wrong with BLT anything now, can you?! 🙂
Gayle says
Definitely not, Helen! Thanks!
Annie @ The Garlic Diaries says
Okay I am seriously drooling right now….This looks absolutely amazing, Gayle! I am totally making this soon. BLT flavors are one of my favorite combinations ever. Yum!
Gayle says
Thanks so much, Annie! Sounds like you would love this!
Shelby @ Go Eat and Repeat says
This pasta salad looks amazing! I love how you combined one great idea (BLT’s) with another! This would be perfect for a Memorial Day cookout!
Gayle says
Thanks, Shelby! This is such a great salad for the summer!
Blair @ The Seasoned Mom says
Pinned, Gayle! This looks delicious and SO perfect for picnic season. I just might have to serve it this weekend!! 🙂
Gayle says
Thanks, Blair!
Ashley | The Recipe Rebel says
This is such a fun twist on pasta salad! SO perfect for those idyllic barbecues 🙂
Gayle says
Thanks, Ashley!
Danielle says
I really love pasta salads, especially if they involve ranch and bacon! This would be so perfect for the holiday, Gayle! Or just to eat in general 😉
Gayle says
Thank you, Danielle!
Christin@SpicySouthernKitchen says
This pasta salad has all my favorite flavors!
Gayle says
Thanks, Christin!
Cailee says
YUM! This looks amazing!! Another great recipe Gayle! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Gayle says
Thanks, Cailee!
Justine | Cooking and Beer says
This is the best thing I’ve seen all day. The end.
Gayle says
Haha thanks, Justine!
Nora @ Savory Nothings says
You’ll always find me where the pasta salads are at BBQs and parties! Love all the yummy flavors going on here!!
Gayle says
Me too, Nora! Thanks!
Kelley @ Chef Savvy says
Gayle this salad looks amazing! I seriously need to make this asap! Love that you lightened it up a bit.
Gayle says
Thanks, Kelley!
Michelle { A Latte Food } says
This is the perfect pasta salad! Not only do your photos look gorgeous, but that pasta (with the bacon!) has my name written all over it! It looks incredible!
Gayle says
Thank you, Michelle!
Ashley says
I love a good pasta salad! And BLT anything is incredibly hard to turn down 🙂 Hope you have an absolutely wonderful holiday weekend!!
Gayle says
Thanks, Ashley! Hope you have a great weekend, too!
Jocelyn @BruCrew Life says
This is an absolutely gorgeous looking pasta salad! We love a good BLT twist to anything!
Gayle says
Thank you, Jocelyn!
Jess @ Flying on Jess Fuel says
This looks soooo good!! I love fun, creative pasta salads! And bacon. LOL! This is perfect for a Memorial Day BBQ! Yum!
Gayle says
Thanks, Jessica!
Tina @ Tina's Chic Corner says
I love anything BLT! It’s so fun how you turned it into a salad!! Yum!!
Gayle says
Thanks, Tina!
sydney knutsen says
Cant’ wait to try this. I know it’ll be a big hit the fam! I also appreciate the way you have succinctly set up the recipe to copy. No pics, or other waste.
Gayle says
Thanks for the kind words, Sydney!
Stacie says
This is delicious! I did not see a serving size though. Can you tell me how many cups the serving portion would be?
Gayle says
Hi Stacie! So glad you liked this! I found that the salad feeds between 8-10 people for a smaller serving size. Hope that helps!
Catherine says
Dear Gayle, this pasta salad sounds wonderful! What a delicious summer side. xo, Catherine
Gayle says
Thanks, Catherine!
Ellen says
This looks so good. I’m wondering, do you chill the pasta, tomatoes and bacon? Or do you do all but the dressing right before serving? TK
Gayle says
Hi Ellen! I usually just combine everything together and chill, then add the dressing right before serving. You can add the dressing when you make this salad and then chill, but I find that the dressing gets kind of clumpy that way. It still tastes good, though! 🙂 I hope you enjoy this and thanks for stopping by!
Ellen says
Thanks! This will be perfect for our Father’s Day cookout.
Gayle says
Great! I hope everyone loves it! 🙂