BLT Pasta Salad

by Lori Longbotham
(Parenting.com)

This BLT pasta salad is an easy but flavorful pasta salad that I'm often asked to make when I have close friends over. BLT stands for bacon, lettuce and tomato. With cherry tomatoes, lettuce and bacon, smothered in olive oil and vinegar, it is full of flavor! This salad tastes best if made a few hours ahead of time.


BLT Pasta Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 pound bow-tie or wagon-wheel pasta

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar

• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

• 1/4 teaspoon fershly ground black pepper, or to taste

• 6 slices bacon or turkey bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces

• 1 pint small red cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1 pint yellow cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil

• 3 cups finely shredded romaine lettuce to line the serving bowl


Preparation:

• Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water, according to package directions. Drain completely and place in a large bowl. Stir in the olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper; let stand for 15 minutes or until mixture reaches room temperature. You may also prepare it one day in advance and —once at room temperature, cover and put it in the fridge.

• Cook the bacon in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until crisp. Drain on paper towels.



• Stir the bacon, red and yellow tomatoes, parsley, and basil into the pasta mixture. Just before serving, adjust seasonings to taste.

• Line a deep serving dish with the shredded lettuce, top with the pasta salad, and serve at room temperature.


Nutritional Values Per Serving (3/4 cup):

193 calories, 6 g protein, 6 g fat (1.1 g saturated), 38 g carbohydrate, 29 g fiber, 214 mg sodium, 2 mg cholesterol, 1.9 mg iron, 18 mg calcium.

Original BLT Pasta Salad Recipe


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