Not ya mama’s pasta salad! No Cook BLT Pasta Salad (without mayo!) is gonna be your go-to weeknight favorite, and it’ll double as your clutch cookout recipe.
This NO COOK BLT Pasta Salad has summer written all over it. It’s got the holy-trinity working for it: good cold, easy to make & a crowd pleaser. If you’re on the hunt for a new go-to summer salad, or a clutch potluck dish, or just a super easy oven-free dinner: your search has ended.
Our NO COOK BLT Pasta Salad has all the summer ingredients you want AND loads of others you never knew you were missing!
BLT PASTA SALAD
Let me be clear: I love a homemade dressing….BUT there’s none here. This is the easy-peasy pasta salad that you’re never gonna have to fuss over.
And, the beauty of this dish (as with so many of our recipes here at Freaking Delish), it’s customizable. Meaning–if you don’t like (or don’t have) an ingredient….don’t panic. It’s still gonna be grand.
Here’s a list of the star ingredients for this No Cook BLT Pasta Salad (without mayo):
- Ready made pasta
- Pre-cooked bacon
- Avocado
- Grape Tomatoes
- Lettuce
- Shredded Cheese
- Italian dressing
EASY WEEKNIGHT NO COOK SALAD
This is the kind of recipe that you, your hubs, and your kids are going to devour. It’s so incredibly easy to make–there’s NO real cooking.
We use pre-cooked pasta in a bag (yep, that exists & it’s just as good as the ready made rice in a bag) to cut down on time. And, we don’t miss the boiling water for a second.
No real skill is required either, so this means your partner (who can’t boil water) can cook this, too!
Yep, it’s a huge win during the busy work week.
NO COOK BLT Pasta Salad (without mayo)
Our NO COOK BLT Pasta Salad has all the summer ingredients you want AND loads of others you never knew you were missing!
Ingredients
- 2 Packs of Ready Pasta by Barilla (or other)
- 8 slices (or more) of Pre-Cooked Bacon
- 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
- 2 whole fresh avocados
- 3c. + chopped Romain Lettuce (preferably pre-washed & diced bagged lettuce)
- 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
- 3/4 c. Italian Dressing
Instructions
- Heat the pasta according to the package instructions. Empty contents into a large mixing bowl to cool. *Dumping the pasta into the mixing bowl is an important step. This allows the pasta to cool enough so that it doesn't melt the shredded cheese.
- While pasta is cooling, heat the bacon according to package instructions.
- While the bacon is cooling, wash and slice the grape tomatoes in half and add to the cooling pasta. Toss.
- Now, you'll want to cut the avocados in half and remove the pits. Then, using a knife (but not slicing through the skin) slice both long ways and vertical to dice the avocado flesh inside the skin. Then, using a spoon, carefully scoop out all contents of the avocado into a bowl. Set aside to toss LAST into the pasta just before serving.
- Take the cooled bacon and dice into large 1" chunks. We don't want bacon bits here. We're looking for bigger bites. Toss into the pasta bowl.
- Add cheese & lettuce into pasta bowl and give a light toss.
- Add dressing and toss well making sure to coat entire contents of bowl.
- Then, finally, add the avocado chunks to the bowl and gently toss to combine. Make sure not to over stir the avocado. We don't want to turn it into guacamole!
- Eat immediately or stick in the fridge for a few hours.
Notes
- If you plan on making this dish more than a couple of hours ahead of time, please make sure to leave out the lettuce and avocado until just before serving it. Otherwise, the lettuce will wilt & avocado may get over stirred.
- NOTE WELL: You can use any type of creamy ranch or creamy Italian dressing you like. Or, you can go more vinaigrette based. Either works great. Just be careful with using mayonnaise based dressings. Those will definitely need to be kept refrigerated to avoid potential for food poisoning.
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PERFECT SUMMER PASTA SALAD
NO COOK BLT Pasta Salad is gonna be the best choice for a BBQ, a cookout, or pool party this summer–it pairs well with just about anything!
It’s got all those summer veggie vibes that we all love, and (HELLO!) it’s got bacon. I’m not sure what else you need:)
Your friends are going to be hounding you for the recipe, and it may become your “signature” dish.
No Cook BLT Pasta Salad is a winner any month of the year, but it’s got a summer vibe that’s just unmistakable.
Give it a shot this week & let me know if it’s a winner for your fam!
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