Description
A crowd-pleasing pasta salad featuring crispy bacon, juicy tomatoes, and fresh lettuce tossed in a creamy mayonnaise dressing. Perfect for potlucks, picnics, or summer barbecues.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 oz (340g) short pasta (fusilli, penne, or rotini)
- 1 lb (450g) bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 4 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 avocado, diced (optional)
- Dressing:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- In large bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients until smooth.
- Add cooled pasta to dressing and toss to coat.
- Gently fold in bacon, tomatoes, red onion, and avocado (if using).
- Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.
- Just before serving, add chopped lettuce and toss gently.
- Garnish with extra bacon and chives if desired.
Notes
- Pro Tip: Reserve some bacon for topping to keep it extra crispy
- For a lighter version, substitute Greek yogurt for half the mayonnaise
- Add lettuce last to prevent wilting
- Best served the same day but keeps refrigerated for up to 2 days
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Pasta Salad
- Method: No-Cook (except pasta/bacon)
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 580mg
- Fat: 36g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 40mg