Over-The-Top BLT Pasta Salad Recipe
The BLT is hands-down the quintessential summer sandwich. Toasty, crispy, juicy, and creamy, a BLT is a pure harmony of flavors and textures. The key to a really delicious BLT is in using the best-quality ingredients, especially sun-ripened tomatoes and fresh lettuce. Recipe developer Julie Kinnaird shares with us her favorite spin on the beloved sandwich with this over-the-top BLT pasta salad. Kinnaird's deconstruction features curly radiatore pasta as the base, juicy cherry tomatoes, crisp romaine lettuce, thick-cut applewood smoked bacon, and a homemade bacon fat mayo dressing that is so good you will want to eat it by the spoonful. The dish is finished with crunchy toasted sourdough breadcrumbs for a taste that takes you back to a BLT in every bite.
The beauty in the simplicity of a basic BLT is that it is easily customizable for any taste. Kinnaird says that this salad is also a great base for adding personal preferences, such as chopped avocado or red onion, additional protein like chicken or hard-cooked eggs, or mixing up the pasta shapes or breadcrumb flavors (pumpernickel, anyone?). Additional greens such as arugula or watercress would also add unique flavor and visual appeal.
Gather the over-the-top BLT pasta salad ingredients
For this recipe you will want to select a curly, short-cut pasta such a radiatore or fusilli. This shape with curves and grooves allows sauce (or in this case the dressing) to cling to the pasta. You also want the pasta to be sturdy enough to hold up in the salad and not become broken or mushy with mixing. You will need a pound of thick-cut applewood smoked bacon (or your favorite preference). Kinnaird prefers using romaine in this salad because it tends to wilt less and has more flavor than green leaf or iceberg. Grape or cherry tomatoes in a variety of colors not only add visual appeal, but have a nice firm exterior and juicy center that works well in the salad. To make the bacon mayo dressing, you will need a couple of super fresh egg yolks, some avocado oil, whole grain mustard, apple cider vinegar, smoked paprika, freshly cracked black pepper, and kosher salt. The mayo is quickly made in a food processor with ingredient ratios that will yield a pourable dressing. Just be sure to have all of the ingredients at room temperature and add the fats in a very slow drizzle for proper emulsification. The pasta salad is finished with toasted sourdough breadcrumbs made from about 3 slices of bread (for a total of 1 cup of fresh crumbs), along with some chopped fresh chives.
Step 1: Preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Step 2: Boil water for the pasta
Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1 tablespoon kosher salt.
Step 3: Cook the pasta
Add the pasta and cook until just al dente (do not overcook).
Step 4: Drain and rinse the pasta
Immediately drain the pasta and rinse with cold water.
Step 5: Toss the pasta with avocado oil
Transfer the pasta to a large bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon avocado oil.
Step 6: Chill the pasta
Chill the pasta until ready to use.
Step 7: Prepare a baking sheet
Line a baking sheet with parchment and a rack to fit.
Step 8: Add the bacon to the pan
Lay the bacon slices over the rack and on the pan, if needed.
Step 9: Bake the bacon
Bake for 10 minutes, then turn the slices and bake for an additional 10-15.
Step 10: Cool the bacon
Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool.
Step 11: Pour off some of the bacon grease
Pour off ¼ cup rendered bacon grease from the pan to a glass jar or other heat-proof container and cool to room temperature in the refrigerator.
Step 12: Add the bread to the food processor
To make the breadcrumbs, tear the bread into smaller pieces and place in the bowl of a food processor.
Step 13: Make the breadcrumbs
Process until fine crumbs form.
Step 14: Heat a saute pan
Heat 1 tablespoon avocado oil in a saute pan over medium heat.
Step 15: Cook the breadcrumbs
Add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring frequently, until deep golden brown (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and cool.
Step 16: Whisk the oil and bacon fat together
To make the bacon mayo dressing, whisk together the remaining ½ cup avocado oil and cooled bacon fat in a small bowl.
Step 17: Add mayo ingredients to food processor
Add the egg yolks, mustard, vinegar, paprika, black pepper, and remaining ½ teaspoon kosher salt to the food processor bowl (wiped down to remove any remaining crumbs).
Step 18: Drizzle the fats into the dressing
With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in the avocado and bacon fat blend until the mixture emulsifies and thickens. Transfer the mayo dressing to a jar or other container and chill for about 20 minutes.
Step 19: Chop the bacon
Chop the bacon into smaller pieces.
Step 20: Chop the romaine
Shred or finely chop the romaine.
Step 21: Add the tomatoes and chives to the pasta
To assemble the salad, stir the tomatoes and chives into the chilled pasta.
Step 22: Fold in the romaine
Gently fold in the shredded romaine.
Step 23: Add the bacon mayo dressing
Pour on the bacon mayo dressing to coat.
Step 24: Add the bacon
Add the bacon.
Step 25: Add half of the breadcrumbs
Finish with half of the toasted breadcrumbs.
Step 26: Serve the over-the-top BLT pasta salad
Serve the over-the-top BLT pasta salad in bowls with a sprinkle of the remaining breadcrumbs.
Over-the-Top BLT Pasta Salad Recipe
What's better than a perfect BLT sandwich? A hearty and flavorful pasta salad version, with applewood-smoked bacon and homemade bacon-infused mayo.
![Over-the-top BLT pasta salad in serving bowls on table with bacon mayo dressing](https://www.chowhound.com/img/gallery/over-the-top-blt-pasta-salad-recipe/over-the-top-blt-pasta-salad-recipe-1723226329.jpg)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 pound radiatore or other short-cut curly pasta
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 pound applewood smoked thick-cut bacon
- 3 slices crusty sourdough bread
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 head romaine lettuce, tough outer leaves removed
- 2 cups mixed color small tomatoes (grape or cherry), halved
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1 tablespoon kosher salt.
- Add the pasta and cook until just al dente (do not overcook).
- Immediately drain the pasta and rinse with cold water.
- Transfer the pasta to a large bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon avocado oil.
- Chill the pasta until ready to use.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment and a rack to fit.
- Lay the bacon slices over the rack and on the pan, if needed.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then turn the slices and bake for an additional 10-15
- Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool.
- Pour off ¼ cup rendered bacon grease from the pan to a glass jar or other heat-proof container and cool to room temperature in the refrigerator.
- To make the breadcrumbs, tear the bread into smaller pieces and place in the bowl of a food processor.
- Process until fine crumbs form.
- Heat 1 tablespoon avocado oil in a saute pan over medium heat.
- Add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring frequently, until deep golden brown (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and cool.
- To make the bacon mayo dressing, whisk together the remaining ½ cup avocado oil and cooled bacon fat in a small bowl.
- Add the egg yolks, mustard, vinegar, paprika, black pepper, and remaining ½ teaspoon kosher salt to the food processor bowl (wiped down to remove any remaining crumbs).
- With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in the avocado and bacon fat blend until the mixture emulsifies and thickens. Transfer the mayo dressing to a jar or other container and chill for about 20 minutes.
- Chop the bacon into smaller pieces.
- Shred or finely chop the romaine.
- To assemble the salad, stir the tomatoes and chives into the chilled pasta.
- Gently fold in the shredded romaine.
- Pour on the bacon mayo dressing to coat.
- Add the bacon.
- Finish with half of the toasted breadcrumbs.
- Serve the over-the-top BLT pasta salad in bowls with a sprinkle of the remaining breadcrumbs.
Can I make this BLT pasta salad in advance?
Although this over-the-top BLT pasta salad is best eaten shortly after it is assembled, there are plenty of steps that can be done in advance to ease the preparation. First, the breadcrumbs can be made a day or two ahead, stored in an airtight container, and refreshed briefly in a hot pan on the stove if needed. The bacon can also be baked ahead of time, re-crisped in an oven or air fryer, and then chopped and added to the salad shortly before serving.
The lettuce and tomatoes can be cut several hours before assembling and stored in the refrigerator, and the bacon mayo dressing will hold well for up to 5 days in a well-sealed container (such as a glass jar). The pasta can be cooked up to a day in advance, tossed with the avocado oil, and kept chilled until everything is ready to assemble. Your salad will be at its best if the bacon and breadcrumbs are added right before serving to keep their crisp texture.
Is it safe to use raw egg yolks in the bacon mayo?
The raw egg yolks used in making homemade mayo — like this bacon mayo dressing — help to emulsify the mixture for a smooth and creamy texture. However, using raw eggs in preparations like this does carry some degree of risk. According to the CDC, the leading cause of food poisoning in the US comes from salmonella and can be linked to about 1 in 20,000 commercially produced eggs coming from infected chickens.
Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to reduce this risk by using proper refrigeration, and being careful when storing and handling the eggs. Kinnaird says that she always makes sure to use the freshest eggs possible when making homemade mayo, and also relies on the vinegar component to both stabilize the mixture as well as fight any potential bacteria. Keeping the bacon mayo dressing stored under refrigeration at all times and wrapping and chilling any salad leftovers will also minimize risk. Using pasteurized eggs is another option to avoid contamination.