BLT Pasta Salad

Delicious on its own or as a side.

Time: 30 Minutes

Serving Size: 4-8 Servings

Allergy Notes: Gluten Free, Nut Free

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The calendar says it's Fall, but it was definitely 90 degrees out the other day. So is the weather of the South. If there's one genre of food I love when it's hot out, it's pasta salad. Give me a short noodle, some random bits and a dressing to tie it together and I'm a happy camper. It's good as a side, a meal, or a midnight snack. It's also the perfect vehicle for a fridge/pantry cleanout. In this iteration, we're combining the classic flavors of a BLT sandwich (a bacon, lettuce, tomato sandwich for the uninitiated) and turning it into a craveable pasta salad. This is a great recipe to practice knife and general kitchen skills.

Ingredients

• 1 lb Gluten Free Elbow Noodles (My preferred elbow noodle is the Barilla Gluten Free Elbow, but use whatever your favorite type is. For more protein, a chickpea pasta would be a great substitute, but may change the flavor of the overall dish because lets just say if you're not familiar with chickpea pasta, it definitely tastes like what the name suggests.)

• 1/2 pack of sliced Bacon or about 6 Slices

• 1/2 Head of Iceberg Lettuce, chopped

• 1 large Tomato, diced

• 2 Green Onions, diced

• 1 cup Mayonnaise (As previously stated, I'm a Helman's lover, but use whatever your favorite is)

• 1/2 cup Plain Greek Yogurt

• 2.5 tbsp Hot Sauce (You'll want something pretty middle of the road between smokey and vinegary. I personally like a Louisiana style hot sauce for this preparation)

• 2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

• 1 tsp Garlic Powder

• Salt and Pepper to taste

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Directions

1. Set a large pot of water over medium-high heat to boil. Add a large pinch of salt to season the water. It's really true what all of the Food Network chefs say- you want your water salty like the ocean. The salt not only seasons your pasta, but can actually help it from sticking together, unlike oil which just makes your sauce slide all over the place. Once boiling, add in your pasta, stirring occasionally and cooking until al dente. Once the noodles have finished cooking, drain and then immediately rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Pasta salad is one of the only times it's okay to rinse your noodles. Continue to let drain.

2. Meanwhile, cut the bacon into small pieces (often call lardons). Pro Tip: Use kitchen sheers to cut the pack of bacon in half and then use them to cut the bacon into pieces. It is so much easier than trying to wrangle bacon on a cutting board. Put the bacon into a cold, medium sized pan and set over medium heat. We're starting in a cold pan because we are trying to get render out as much fat as possible and get the crispiest bacon. Once cooked, using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain and cool. Pro Tip: If you don't have a splatter cover, get yourself one. You will save yourself a whole lot of clean up and potential injury. There are lots of fancy ones out there, but mine is literally from the Dollar Tree.

3. In large bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, hot sauce, vinegar, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

4. Medium dice the tomato and slice the green onion. Add both to the bowl with the dressing. Chop the iceberg lettuce into medium chunks and set aside (We'll add this in before serving).

5. Add the pasta and the bacon to the bowl and gently stir to evenly coat everything in the dressing.

6. Cover and chill for at least an hour. About 20 minutes prior to serving, mix in the reserved lettuce. Adding it now prevents it from going soggy. Serve up and enjoy!

Future Bonus Content: I'm entering and suped up version of this into this year's NC State Fair Home Chef's Competition so stayed tuned for that version!