I still remember the first BLT I ever ate. I was in second grade and the memory is crystal clear. We were sitting in the living room watching TV and my father said to my mother, “You know what would really hit the spot right now? A BLT.”
I asked him what a BLT was. He teased me and then told me that I was about to find out, but he refused to let me in on the joke. Unaware of what an acronym was, I kept trying to sound out the word “blt.” I was very puzzled by the concept of a word with no vowels – a grammar rule that I did know.
My mother actually did make us BLTs that night and a love affair with a sandwich was born. Is there any more perfect flavor combination that crisp salty bacon, tart juicy tomatoes, crisp iceberg or romaine lettuce and creamy mayonnaise? I think not.
Even though I’m mostly pretty careful about the amount of sodium in our diet, I do have a few weaknesses that I just can’t avoid all together. A BLT sandwich is certainly one. About once a month I splurge and make them, usually for dinner with a cup of homemade soup.
Somewhere in my travels online, I heard about a BLT pasta salad and I knew it was a dish that I had to make. Turning that perfect flavor combination into a summer salad seemed pretty genius to me.
Instead of straight mayonnaise like the sandwich, this salad gets a lighter and brighter homemade ranch style dressing made with buttermilk and fresh herbs. That allows the dressing to perfectly cling to all of the crevices in the pasta and romaine. It also guarantees that the salad will be popular, especially with children, who all seem to adore ranch dressing.
With that in mind, I waited until a family dinner night to make this and I was glad I did. Our daughter Julie and her family joined us for dinner on Saturday night along with my parents and Thommy and Katie. We made barbecued chicken, the BLT pasta salad, baked beans and watermelon.
The salad was a smash hit. After everyone finished eating, we relaxed at the table on the deck for a few minutes before heading to the beach for a sunset walk. I asked the group if anyone could finish off the pasta salad because it wasn’t a salad that would keep until the next day.
Our son-in-law Gary plopped the salad bowl in between him and Julie. Lilia and Chloe joined in and the four of them finished off the last amount of the salad. The little ones loved the entire salad, even the romaine. That’s the power of ranch.
A few notes on the recipe:
• Don’t overcook the pasta. You want it to have a little bit of a bite to it.
• Romaine is the best type of lettuce to use. It’s crisp enough to stand up to the dressing and won’t wilt as quickly as other greens.
• Parts of this salad can be made ahead, but wait until right before serving it to toss the dressing in with the other ingredients so the romaine doesn’t wilt.
• Make homemade ranch dressing. The store-bought bottled stuff just doesn’t cut it.
• If you are making the salad for fewer people, adjust the ingredients down. Tomatoes don’t hold up well in the fridge overnight and wilted lettuce is never a good thing.
• My family likes a bit of extra dressing on this salad, but you can also add about 1/2 cup less and save it for a tossed salad if you prefer your salads less dressed.
BLT Pasta Salad
Serves 8 - 10 as a side dish
1 cup buttermilk 1 cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely sliced 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon salt 8 grinds fresh black pepper 12 ounce box bow-tie pasta, cooked, drained and cooled 10 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and chopped 2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half 1 head of romaine hearts, chopped
In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and mayonnaise until smooth. Add the chives, parsley, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Refrigerate dressing for an hour to let dressing thicken slightly and allow flavors to combine.
In a large bowl, combine pasta, bacon, tomatoes and romaine. Just before you are ready to serve the salad, add the dressing and toss gently to combine.
August 01, 2020 at 09:27PM
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