This warm pasta salad mixes crispy bacon, fresh spinach and sweet cherry tomatoes in a light, creamy dressing. Whole‑grain pasta adds fiber, while a blend of vegan mayo and Greek yogurt keeps it low in fat.
Active time: 20 minutes | Total time: 30 minutes
Creamy BLT Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 8 oz (227 g) whole‑grain short pasta, such as penne
- 4 thick, center‑cut, nitrate‑free bacon slices, chopped
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- ¼ cup vegan mayonnaise
- ½ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 bag (5 oz) fresh spinach
Directions
1. Cook the pasta in a large pot following the package directions. Drain and set aside.
2. While the pasta cooks, heat a skillet over medium‑low heat. Add the chopped bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 8–10 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper‑towel‑lined plate and pour off the fat, leaving the browned bits in the pan.
3. Add olive oil to the same pan and turn the heat to medium. Toss in the tomatoes and minced garlic. Cook, stirring, for 4 minutes until the tomatoes are soft. Remove from heat.
4. In a big bowl, whisk together the vegan mayo, Greek yogurt and apple cider vinegar.
5. Add the cooked pasta, crispy bacon, tomato mixture and fresh spinach to the bowl. Toss everything together until the pasta is coated with the creamy sauce.
6. Serve the salad warm. It makes about 6 servings, one cup each.
Nutrition (per serving)
- Calories: 238
- Fat: 11 g (Saturated: 2 g)
- Carbohydrates: 30 g (Fiber: 6 g, Sugar: 3 g)
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 6 mg
- Sodium: 185 mg
- Calcium: 6 %
- Iron: 12 %
- Potassium: 464 mg
- Vitamin A: 148 %
- Vitamin C: 23 %