BLT Chicken Pasta Salad (Printable)

Fresh and hearty salad with smoky bacon, juicy tomatoes, crisp lettuce, grilled chicken, and creamy mayo dressing.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta & Proteins

01 - 8 oz medium pasta shells
02 - 2 cups cooked grilled chicken breast, diced
03 - 6 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled

→ Vegetables

04 - 1.5 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
05 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
06 - 0.5 cup red onion, finely diced

→ Dressing

07 - 0.33 cup light mayonnaise
08 - 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
09 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
10 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
11 - 0.5 teaspoon garlic powder
12 - Salt and black pepper to taste

# Directions:

01 - Cook pasta shells according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water until cooled completely.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together light mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until smooth and well blended.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine cooled pasta, grilled chicken, crumbled bacon, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and red onion.
04 - Pour dressing over salad mixture and gently toss until all ingredients are evenly coated.
05 - Serve immediately or refrigerate for 20 minutes to allow flavors to develop before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The creamy dressing clings to every pasta shell without drowning the fresh vegetables
  • It travels beautifully and actually tastes better after the flavors hang out for a while
02 -
  • The lettuce will get sad if it sits in the dressing too long so fold it in right before serving
  • Pasta absorbs dressing as it sits so keep a tiny bit of extra dressing handy if you're serving this later
03 -
  • Undercook the pasta by one minute since it will continue absorbing moisture
  • Pat the lettuce completely dry before adding or your dressing will become watery
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