BLT Pasta Salad with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
Inspired by the Huffington Post
Ingredients
Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
- 1/2 cup buttermilk, well shaken
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon fresh tarragon, dill, parsley, or chives (or any combo) , finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 dashes Tabasco or other hot sauce
- Coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Salad
- 1/2 pound bacon
- 2 large heads romaine lettuce, washed and dried (about 16 cups of loosely packed lettuce)
- 1 pound grape or Roma tomatoes
- 1-1 1/2 pounds cheese-filled ravioli (I use a 1-pound 4-ounce package)
- 1-2 tablespoons olive or avocado oil
- 2 tablespoons dry ranch dressing mix
Instructions
Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
- Place all of the dressing ingredients in a jar and shake until blended well. Alternately, using an immersion blender, place all of the ingredients in a jar and pulse until smooth and creamy.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Salad
- Cook bacon in the oven or in a skillet on medium heat. Place cooked bacon on paper towels. Pat any remaining grease from bacon. Chop into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Do not overcook. Rinse with cold water and drain. Coat with oil and then toss with dry ranch dressing mix. Refrigerate until ready to use. Let the pasta cool completely before adding to the salad or the pasta will wilt the lettuce.
- Chop lettuce into bite-sized pieces.
- Slice grape tomatoes in half, or if using Roma tomatoes, cut into chunks.
- Arrange the lettuce in a large bowl. Place the tomatoes on the lettuce and top with cooled pasta. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- When ready to serve, toss the salad, sprinkle with bacon, and drizzle with fresh ranch dressing. Serve salad with additional dressing on the side.
Notes
Dressing
When purchasing buttermilk, I look for brands that are thick and creamy. Here in Utah, my favorite brand is Winder Dairy. Their buttermilk is significantly thicker than other brands.
I do not recommend using dry buttermilk for this dressing.
If you have leftover buttermilk, use it to make ABK's Buttermilk Pancakes, Buttermilk Biscuits, Buttermilk Syrup, or Blueberry Buttermilk Scones.
I usually double the dressing recipe so I have extra on hand for other salads.
Salad
Use any type of filled pasta in this salad. I like cheese-filled or a combination of spinach-and-cheese-filled ravioli, but tortellini also works well.
Stretch the salad a little further by adding more lettuce. If doubling this recipe, double the lettuce, but use only one and a half times the bacon, tomatoes, and pasta.
Any type of lettuce may be used, even spinach. I prefer romaine for its firm texture, which supports the heavy pasta and tomatoes in this dish.
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