BLT Chopped Tiny Pasta Salad.
This BLT chopped pasta salad is one of my favorite side dishes to make! Tiny pasta, crispy bacon, juicy tomatoes, romaine and shaved parmesan are coated in a zesty, tangy vinaigrette. Delicious!
This is going to become your new favorite pasta salad!
This BLT chopped pasta salad is packed with ditalini pasta, chopped romaine, tomatoes, bacon and has an incredible tangy vinaigrette to top it all over. It’s delicious and easy and a big crowd pleaser.
Great for a party, but even better for dinner tonight!
And yes, why I am in a big BLT mood at the moment. Tomatoes are at their peak after all!
There’s a reason this is the best pasta salad ever… it’s chopped. Shocking, I know.
I’m sure you’ve heard me ramble over and over again for years about how chopped salads were my gateway salads.
Getting a bite of everything on the fork? Obsessed.
Not having to chew a big piece of lettuce or chicken or a giant tomato awkwardly? Even better.
I’m such a texture person, that having all the ingredients chopped in one bowl is divine. The crunchy crispness is perfect and exactly what I crave.
And exactly how I crave a salad!
So this is that. Sure, there are many other BLT pasta salads out there – I’ve even shared another version of one before with broccoli that I adore.
But it’s not the same as this.
This one requires a tiny tiny cut of pasta. Ditalini. Even orzo. Stelline. Sometimes small and miniscule that makes everything else stand out too.
It’s not about a big noodle with a chunk of tomato.
It’s chopped romaine. Chopped tomatoes! Lots of tiny crushed bacon pieces – extra crispy of course.
And then the dressing. A super zesty shallot-y italian that coats every inch of the salad.
Lots of shaved parmesan! Shaved is the key because it’s so enjoyable to eat. Not shredded or grated. Buy it shaved or grab your vegetable peeler and shave it yourself.
This is the pasta salad that you can make for lunch, that you can serve as a side dish with dinner. Of course, you can also make it for a cookout or BBQ, a great reason to celebrate any summer day.
Dress the salad right before serving if you’re doing it for a crowd.
It does last overnight in the fridge, but not as great as a non-chopped pasta salad does, you know? Because the lettuce is chopped into small pieces, it wilts quicker. You can also always lightly dress the salad and then serve with MORE dressing for yourself or guests. Or whoever the heck is eating it.
My other BLT salad (and most that I’ve tried) have a ranch dressing that coats everything. I love this one because of the tangy, zesty aspect that the vinaigrette brings. Garlicky flavor with a crisp shallot bite – it almost adds a spiciness, but it’s a GOOD one.
The garlic and shallots marinate in the dressing for a few minutes and they lose some of the overwhelming punch. Instead, they bring a whole new element of flavor to the salad and pack a major flavor punch.
So that is why this has to happen in your kitchen this week! You’ll adore the texture and the flavor. It’s soooo satisfying.
BLT Chopped Tiny Pasta Salad
BLT Chopped Tiny Pasta Salad
Ingredients
dressing
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 shallot, diced
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- ½ cup olive oil
salad
- 1 pound ditalini pasta, cooked and cooled
- 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- ⅔ cup shaved parmesan cheese
Instructions
dressing
- Make the dressing first. Whisk all the ingredients together until emulsified. Let this sit on the counter until the pasta salad is ready. This can also be done a day ahead of time and stored in the fridge, just shake or whisk before using.
salad
- Place the chopped lettuce in a large bowl. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the cooled pasta on top. Add in the tomatoes and bacon. Add on the parmesan. Drizzle some of the dressing on and toss well. Taste and season or add more dressing as needed. Serve!
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I appreciate you so much!
That crunch!
