Easy BLT Pasta Salad Recipe – A Healthy Spin with a Flavorful Dressing (No Mayo!)

This easy to make BLT pasta salad recipe has a couple healthy twists and is packed with flavor! It’s the perfect side dish for any summer BBQ, potluck, or picnic.

Out of all my childhood memories, I remember summer vacation most vividly. Those memories seem to be brighter, louder, and definitely more full of delicious smells and tastes.

We basically lived off what we cooked on the grill during summer months. No matter what grilled meat or veggies we made, my mom always paired them with more fresh produce.

We enjoyed things like fresh-sliced tomatoes with my mom’s signature sweet creamy sauce. Steamed green beans seasoned with butter and salt. Zucchini sautéed in olive oil with garlic sprinkled with fresh basil.

And if we were going to a party, mom would always make her two signature side dishes: baked beans and taco salad, which were always the hit of the party. Sometimes her two side dishes eclipsed the main dish! On the rare occasion that we went to a party and she didn’t have both those sides, oh boy did she hear about it.

I don’t have a signature summer dish; I enjoy switching things up too much. Now that I think about it, I need to ask mom for her signature dishes and share them.

Just in time for Memorial Day, I came up with a healthier twist on BLT pasta salad! This recipe uses less pasta and adds white beans. Instead of a heavy mayo-based dressing, I whipped up an easy, flavorful vinaigrette.

What You’ll Love About This BLT Pasta Salad Recipe

This dish has everything that a lovely BLT sandwich has to offer, with a few extras as well.

Flavorful baby spinach leaves take the place of lettuce. Not only are they full of nutrition, but there’s no chopping required!

We replace half of the pasta with white beans. This makes it a sturdier side dish, and of course also adds nutrition in the form of protein and fiber.

To keep this dish on the healthier side, bacon is more of an accent flavor or seasoning than a main component. Feel free to double the amount of bacon if you want.

Since this is summer picnic/BBQ/potluck food, instead of using a creamy mayo-based dressing I opted for a lighter, but still super flavorful vinaigrette.

BLT Pasta Salad Ingredients and Substitutions

With minimal ingredients, you might have almost everything you need to make this summer side dish on hand.

Salad Ingredients

• Canned white beans – Look for no-salt-added beans, and use any kind of white beans you like. Navy beans or Cannellini beans both work well.
• Bowtie pasta – You can use any small pasta shape you like or have on hand.
• Cherry tomatoes – Sweet cherry tomatoes are the “T” in our BLT salad.
• White onion – Sweet white onion adds complexity to this dish.
• Beef bacon – Beef bacon is my favorite, but you can use any type of bacon you like.
• Baby spinach leaves – Baby spinach stands in for lettuce! It’s hardier (and less prone to wilting), delicious, and packed with nutrition.

Sweet and Savory Dressing Ingredients

• Extra-virgin olive oil – Use a good quality olive oil for the best flavor.
• Apple cider vinegar – We make a quick vinaigrette for this dish. You can swap out apple cider vinegar for red or white wine vinegar if you want.
• Honey – Honey adds a touch of sweetness for balance; you can use maple syrup instead.
• Worcestershire sauce – Worcestershire sauce adds savory depth of flavor.
• Garlic – Garlic is the secret ingredient that takes this dressing (and the salad itself) to the next level.
• Salt and black pepper – These pantry staple seasonings add a ton of flavor.

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions. Rinse, drain, and let it cool to room temperature.
2. Whisk together all ingredients for the dressing in a large bowl.
3. Toss the beans, pasta, tomatoes, and onion in the dressing. Serve or refrigerate for up to 3 days.
4. Right before serving, toss in the bacon and spinach; serve cold.

Storage

Once you mix together the salad components (except for the bacon and spinach), you can refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Right before serving, toss in the bacon and spinach.

Variations

• For the cheese lovers – Cubes of cheddar or Monterey jack, little mozzarella balls, crumbled feta, or crumbled blue cheese are delicious in this salad.
• You aren’t limited to spinach – Use any type of lettuce you instead of baby spinach leaves. Chopped kale would also work well!
• Use a different dressing – Instead of whipping up a vinaigrette dressing, this cold pasta salad is also great with a creamy dressing. I like to mix 1/3 cup mayo and 1/3 cup ranch and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Tips

• Rinse the pasta under cool running water after you cook it to al dente. This helps stop the cooking process, and also rinses off excess starch to prevent the pasta from becoming gummy.
• Don’t add the bacon and spinach until right before serving. This will help minimize the spinach wilting and keep the bacon as crispy as possible.

More Pasta Salad Inspiration

• Creamy Pasta Salad with Bacon, Peas, and Bell Peppers
• Mediterranean Pasta Salad
• Warm Pasta Salad with Caramelized Leek, Bacon, and Goat Cheese

This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on May 22, 2014 and updated on May 28, 2021.