BLT Pasta Salad

My mom and dad are both from West Virginia, and so I grew up eating: potato salad, pasta salad, 7 layer salad and macaroni salad.  As a kid, I know I didn’t appreciate them fully, but as an adult, I’ve come to realize that there is a huge variety and diversity among cold pasta salads, and depending on the ingredients, they can be “ho hum” or amazing.  This BLT pasta salad (which I’m calling it that even though there isn’t any lettuce in it) is FULL of flavor, and those were my husband’s exact words, even though he tends to just tolerate most pasta salads.

It’s supposed to get up to 97 degrees here tomorrow, and for a steamy summer evening, a cold, crispy, flavorful pasta salad can be a perfect dinner time choice.

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Back to the salad, here is what you need to make this for lunch or dinner, or just any old time:

16 ounces of your favorite pasta, cooked and drained (I like Cavatappi, it’s pretty and a mouthful)
3 ounce package of real bacon pieces (or you could cook your own, 2/3 cup after cooked and crumbled)
1 pint of grape tomatoes, chopped into bite size
2-3 green onions, chopped
16 ounce bottle Bacon Ranch dressing

Be sure to get the ranch dressing with the bacon flavoring, it just gives the salad an extra punch of flavor.

Whatever you do, don’t use those awful “fake” bacon bits.  I like to buy the precooked prepacked ones sometimes for convenience, but make sure if you do, to buy the ones that are real bacon pieces.

Cook and drain your pasta, and wash and chop up your tomatoes and green onions, and you’re ready to throw this pasta salad together.  Just add everything to a large bowl and gently mix together.  I do like to chill mine for at least a few hours before eating, and make sure you store this in the refrigerator as well.

This makes nice hearty servings for at least 6 people.

To make this meal extra “carbalicious” add some garlic toast or breadsticks, and you have yourself a perfect summer dinner!