Adding green chilies and avocados to this easy Spicy Ranch BLT Pasta Salad gives this salad a spicy twist that everyone will love. This is a great side dish to bring to any meal or picnic.
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We do love our pasta salads in the summer. Any picnic or dinner we go to means pasta salad will be happening. Of course any dinner when I can’t think of a meal to make means pasta salad too. It’s safe to say pasta is my go to when I do not have any idea of what to feed the hungry monsters in our house.
It’s ok though, because pasta goes with just about any meal, right?
A few weeks ago we made this Southwest Avocado Ranch Pasta Salad, and we still had extra dressing in our refrigerator. Of course Ranch dressing really doesn’t need a reason to be used because our kids love it on all their salads and veggies. Anyone one else have kids that need a big bowl of dressing for just a few carrots? At least they are eating their veggies!
The extra bottle of dressing was the perfect excuse to make another pasta salad for dinner.
Did you know that I am not a huge bacon fan? Yes, I know you all probably just gasped out loud. Don’t shoot me!
What I have found is that I actually like bacon on things like BLT sandwiches…as long as said bacon is very crispy. I also really like it in cheesy pasta dishes like this Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Bake. The key must be ranch and tomatoes…so far everything I enjoy bacon as long as it is with those two things.
Anyway, I mixed together my favorite BLT sandwich into an easy pasta dish. It comes together really quickly. I like to chop the veggies up as the pasta is cooking. Then rinse the pasta in cold water and stir it all together. This can be eaten right away, but if you have time to refrigerate it for an hour or more the flavors really come together even more.
Dinner in a hurry is always a plus for busy summer nights.
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Adding chili peppers and ranch dressing to a BLT pasta salad adds a fun spicy twist to an easy side dish. This is a great salad to take to any picnic or barbecue.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces shell pasta
- 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup crumbled cooked bacon
- 1 cup finely diced baby spinach leaves
- 1 - 4 ounce can diced chilies
- 1/4 cup ranch dressing
- 1 avocado, diced
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta to al dente according to the box directions. Drain and cool.
- Mix together the pasta, tomatoes, bacon, spinach, chilies, and ranch dressing. Gently stir in the avocado chunks.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate.
Other salads we enjoy in the summer:
Jennifer says
July 22, 2015 at 12:36 PMThis recipe looks amazing but I don’t see the avocado in the ingredient list. How much should I use?
Jocelyn says
July 22, 2015 at 3:46 PMThanks for catching that mistake for me. You will use one whole one diced up. I updated the recipe too! I hope you enjoy it!
ChiChi says
July 22, 2015 at 4:45 PMI love a good pasta salad and yours Jocelyn with avocados looks really delicious.
Cyndi - My Kitchen Craze says
July 22, 2015 at 6:12 PMJocelyn how can you not be a bacon lover? Haha just kidding. I actually only way turkey bacon and now pork bacon just kinda of taste yuck to me. Silly ha. This pasta salad looks amazing and so easy. Love quick and easy meals! 🙂
[email protected] says
July 22, 2015 at 6:32 PMI am with you on your feelings for bacon. While I love the flavor it gives to things like salads and baked beans, you would never find me eating a slice at breakfast.
Medha @ Whisk & Shout says
July 22, 2015 at 7:49 PMThis looks so creamy! love the kick of spice and you just cannot go wrong with a pasta salad 🙂
allie @ Through Her Looking Glass says
July 22, 2015 at 9:28 PMHow delicious is this Jocelyn? BLT in a bowl. Let’s just call it supper! Love manage and avocado together.
Julianne @ Beyond Frosting says
July 22, 2015 at 9:56 PMThis is my kinda pasta salad!!
Erin @ Miss Scrambled Egg says
July 23, 2015 at 10:57 PMI’m totally subbing in some turkey bacon and devouring all of this pasta salad. 😀
Kim | a little lunch says
September 3, 2015 at 1:33 PMHi, Jocelyn! I saw your tasty looking BLT salad on Heather’s (basilmomma) post about using up the last of this summer’s tomato bounty. Now I’m wishing the tomato crop would last a little longer — your salad sounds as good as it looks! Thanks for your recipe.