This broccoli BLT pasta salad is the perfect summer side dish! Made with my asiago ranch, it tastes like a fabulous BLT with broccoli. SO much flavor and texture! Huge party hit!
We’re making a salad today!
A BLT salad. But a pasta salad too!
This broccoli BLT pasta salad is incredible – super flavorful, filled with crunchy texture, mixed in an asiago ranch dressing (!!!!) and tastes divine.
This is a party pasta salad.
There is no other way to describe it. The recipe will make a TON. It feeds a giant crowd. It’s perfect for a summer BBQ or a potluck any time of year.
And this is a pretty huge deal because if you search for pasta salad here on the site, you will know that I don’t love creamy dressings or pasta salad with creamy dressings. I am very much in the vinaigrette camp when it comes to pasta salads.
But I make an exception for this one.
I know that BLT pasta salads have been around for years. In fact, I had a terrible experience with one about a decade ago that turned me off of them completely. I swore I would NEVER make one and serve it, let alone share it with a ton of people on the internet.
But here we are!
Something about bacon and broccoli, and turning that into a pasta salad, just spoke to me.
And let me interject and interrupt myself. One of you mentioned in my weekend post, after you saw this photo, that it looked like a “wedge salad pasta salad.”
Um, hello. Why didn’t I think of that?!
Here’s the good news: this totally CAN be a wedge pasta salad. Just swap out the ranch for blue cheese dressing! And boom. A classic wedge salad pasta salad.
Anyhoo. Back to my rambles.
This pasta salad does take some prep work. However, you can prepare everything ahead of time and combine it before serving.
First things first! I cook the pasta and set it aside to cool. This is a cold pasta salad, so you want cold pasta.
I also fry the bacon. I chop it and then fry it, making it easier and quicker. Then, I remove it with a slotted spoon and place it on a paper towel to drain the excess grease.
And I blanch the broccoli! This is not required, but I prefer it this way. You can chop raw broccoli into florets and use it that way, just like a classic broccoli salad. I prefer to blanch it so it’s slightly softer but also retains that gorgeous shade of green.
Then, I chop the tomatoes and green onions! I also chop up some romaine lettuce. I’ve done all of this ahead of time, even the night before. If I do that, I simply store the lettuce in a bag in the fridge with a paper towel. It’s super easy.
Oh and the ranch! I have to make the ranch dressing.
Let’s talk about this asiago ranch. I am 100% convinced that this will become one of your new favorite condiments!! And I have developed many many recipes with it that are coming in the next few months – let’s just say that I am over the moon for it.
I use my classic ranch dressing recipe – the only ranch I like, period – and add in some finely grated asiago cheese. Throw it right there in the blender with it!
(Remember that I use the nutribullet to make the ranch, and many of my other favorite dressings – it’s a must have!)
The ranch is straight up good enough to eat with a spoon. It’s perfect.
So it also makes an incredible dressing!
This makes a LOT of dressing. I highly suggest that you determine how much to use, based on how creamy you like your pasta salad. Also keep in mind that the pasta will soak up some of the dressing.
I usually toss the plain pasta with a bit of dressing to get a good base. Then I add the ingredients and pour in more dressing, tossing and tossing. It’s ready to serve, just like this! You will be amazed at how the dressing infuses into the pasta, so I suggest not using it all until right before serving.
And that’s that! Crunchy, satisfying, serves a giant crowd, tastes great as leftovers.
Just what we love!
Broccoli BLT Pasta Salad
Broccoli BLT Pasta Salad with Asiago Ranch
This broccoli BLT pasta salad is the perfect summer side dish! Made with my asiago ranch, it tastes like a fabulous BLT with broccoli. SO much flavor and texture! Huge party hit!
- 1 pound medium pasta shells, cooked
- 1 pound bacon, chopped
- 3 cups broccoli florets
- 2 to 3 cups tomatoes, quartered or diced
- 8 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 small head romaine lettuce, chopped/shredded
- 1 cup shaved asiago or parmesan cheese
asiago ranch
- 1 cup plain greek yogurt or sour cream
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup milk
- 3 tablespoons fresh chives or 1 tablespoon dried chives
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill or 2 teaspoons dried dill weed
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ⅔ cup finely grated asiago cheese
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Cook the pasta and set it aside to cool. You can toss it with some olive oil or avocado spray so it doesn’t stick. You can also cook it the night before and store it in the fridge!
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Heat a large pot over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook, stirring often, until all the fat is rendered and the bacon is crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and place it on a paper towel to drain excess grease.
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Heat a large pot of salted water. Once boiling, add the broccoli florets and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Immediately remove them and run under cold water or place them in an ice bath to stop cooking. After this, I place the broccoli on a towel to dry a bit. Then I chop it up.
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To make the pasta salad, toss the cold pasta with about ½ cup of the dressing to get every piece covered. Add in the tomatoes, almost all the green onions, almost all the bacon, the broccoli, romaine and shaved cheese. Toss everything together.
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Add in more dressing (as much as you’d like, another ½ cup or so – start slow, because you can always add more!) and toss, coating everything and making sure the salad is combined.
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Taste and season the salad more if needed. Top with the remaining green onions and bacon and serve!
The bacon.
