Healthy BLT Pasta Salad with Avocado

Whip up a healthy BLT pasta salad your family will love! Packed with pasta, tangy ranch, avocado, bacon, and feta, this 15-minute customizable dish is nourishing, delicious, and totally satisfying.

A Satisfying Pasta Salad for the Whole Family

BLTs are one of my all-time favorite sandwiches, but let’s be real—sometimes you need a dish that feeds the whole family and feels a bit more complete. Enter: healthy BLT pasta salad! This energizing, meal-worthy salad is chock full of comforting pasta, creamy homemade ranch, salty bacon, feta, and buttery avocado.

It’s nourishing, customizable, and a total win in my house. Oh, and did I mention it comes together in just 15 minutes? Speaking of 15-minute salads, check out my loaded fiesta salad and warm butternut squash and lentil salad; you’re sure to love them, too.

Why You’ll Love This Healthy BLT Pasta Salad

• Fast and easy! As a dietitian and mom of three, I can attest that this recipe is perfect for busy weeknights or last-minute dinners.
• Customizable: Swap ingredients to suit your family’s taste!
• It reduces food waste. I am a huge proponent of clean-out-the-fridge-style recipes. A great way to use up leftover pasta or veggies on their way out.
• Make-ahead friendly: Prep in advance for school lunches or crisp it up with fresh lettuce later.

How to Make Healthy BLT Pasta Salad in 15 Minutes

This dish is quick to throw together, especially if you have some staples prepped in advance. Here’s what you’ll need:

For the Homemade Ranch Dressing

• Mayonnaise
• Sour cream or Greek yogurt
• Dried chives
• Dried dill weed
• Dried parsley
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Salt and pepper

For the Salad

• Cooked pasta (cooled, or use leftovers)
• Cooked bacon, chopped
• Baby tomatoes, quartered
• Chopped romaine lettuce
• Avocado, diced
• Red onion, diced
• Feta cheese
• Fresh parsley (optional, for garnish)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Make the Ranch Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. You can also blitz them in a food processor if you prefer a super-smooth consistency.

Prep the Salad Ingredients: If you’re not using leftover pasta and bacon, boil your pasta and cook the bacon (I recommend the air fryer or stovetop for speed). Chop your veggies while everything cools.

Assemble the Salad: In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta, bacon, and prepared veggies. Pour 1 cup of the ranch dressing overtop and gently toss again until well coated.

Sprinkle with feta and garnish with parsley. Serve immediately or refrigerate for later!

Customization Tips for Your Healthy BLT Pasta Salad

This salad is endlessly adaptable! Here are a few fun twists:

• Add diced cucumber, red bell pepper, or black olives for extra crunch.
• Toss in shredded cooked chicken for more protein.
• Use gluten-free or legume-based pasta for dietary preferences.
• Want a quicker option? Use pre-cooked bacon or store-bought ranch (but try the homemade—it’s worth it!).

Pro Tips for the Best Healthy BLT Pasta Salad

• Cool the Pasta: If using freshly cooked pasta, rinse it under cold water to chill it quickly.
• Crisp It Up: Stir in fresh romaine or iceberg lettuce before serving for a crunchy, BLT-like texture.
• Leftover Tip: Store leftovers in the fridge for 2–3 days. Toss with a splash of fresh dressing to revive it.

Why This Salad is a Family Favorite

In my house, this healthy BLT pasta salad is a hit every time. It checks all the boxes—easy, nourishing, and flexible. Plus, it’s an ideal option for school lunches or quick dinners. Make it as written, or add your own spin! Let me know how you customize yours—I love hearing your creative twists!

More Pasta Recipes

• Creamy chicken and broccoli one-pot pasta
• One-pot Greek pasta bake
• Superhero green pasta
• Frittata with ham, veggies and pasta
• One-pot Mediterranean linguini

Healthy BLT Pasta Salad

Sarah Remmer, RD

In my house, this healthy BLT pasta salad is a hit every time. It checks all the boxes—easy, nourishing, and endlessly flexible. Plus, it’s an ideal option for school lunches or quick dinners.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 3 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Dinner

Cuisine Italian

Servings 9 generous cups

Ingredients

  

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Homemade Ranch Dressing

• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried chives
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

Pasta Salad

• 12 ounces dry pasta cooked and cooled or 7 scant cups of cool leftover pasta
• 10 slices bacon cooked and chopped
• 1 1/2 cups baby tomatoes quartered
• 1 cup roughly chopped romaine lettuce
• 1/2 avocado diced
• 1/3 cup diced red onion
• 1 cup homemade ranch dressing
• Handful of feta about 3/4 cup
• Fresh parsley for garnish roughly chopped, optional

Instructions

 

• Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients (or use a small processor or blender, if you prefer) and set aside.
• Unless using precooked, boil the pasta and fry the bacon, then roughly chop the bacon. Meanwhile, prepare the tomatoes, lettuce, avocado and onion, as directed.
• Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, except for the dressing and fresh parsley, toss together the pasta, bacon and prepared veggies. Now, pour 1 cup of the dressing overtop and toss again, until all of the ingredients are coated.
• Crumble the feta over the salad, garnish with parsley, if using, and serve. Set the leftover dressing on the table for extra dolloping.

Notes

Semolina, legume and gluten-free pasta all work well in this dish. If using freshly cooked pasta, I like to rinse it well under cold water after cooking to quickly cool it for serving in the salad.  Precooked bacon is a great time and effort saver, when cooking it fresh I use my largest skillet to fry the bacon all at once.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Sarah Remmer, RD

Sarah Remmer, RD, is a registered dietitian and mom of three, specializing in family and pediatric nutrition. She’s the founder of Centred Nutrition Collective and has nearly 20 years of experience helping families feel confident about feeding their kids.