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BLT Chickpea Pasta Salad

Course: lunch, Salads
Pulse Type: Chickpeas
Specialty Diet: Gluten Free
Occasion: 4th of July, Memorial Day
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
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Ingredients

Salad:

  • 1 pound chickpea pasta (such as rotini, penne, or bowtie)
  • 10 slices bacon
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
  • 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce or baby spinach
  • 1 medium red onion finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

For the Dressing:

  • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt or mayonnaise
  • 1/3 cup sour cream
  • 3 tbsp buttermilk (or milk)
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp chopped dill
  • 2 tbsp chopped chives
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top.

  2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

  3. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente.

  4. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process and cool the pasta.

  5. Lay the bacon in an even layer on the wire rack and bake in the preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, until the bacon is cooked and crispy. You can skip the wire rack if you don’t have one.

  6. Transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel lined plate to cool then chop into small, bite-size pieces.

  7. While bacon is cooking, mix the dressing ingredients in a medium bowl.

  8. Add the pasta to a large bowl with the chopped bacon, tomato, lettuce, and red onion. Reserve ¼ cup dressing to garnish at the end.

  9. Drizzle 3/4 of the dressing on the pasta salad and toss to coat everything well.

  10. Arrange the reserved bacon, lettuce and tomato on top.

  11. Drizzle the remaining dressing on top and top with more fresh dill just before serving.