This tortellini salad is tossed with a Greek yogurt dressing, bacon, lettuce, and tomato!
Perfect BBQ food!
This time of year is all about BBQs, potlucks, and picnics. Pasta salad is always the perfect side. I think I’m going to have to bring this tortellini salad to all my cookouts this summer. With just a few simple ingredients and steps to make it this is truly the perfect side dish to bring to any fun occasion and it never lasts long either because it’s simply irresistible.
BLT Pasta Salad
This tortellini salad is dressed with a light and simple dressing made from tangy Greek yogurt. I added crispy bacon, tender spinach, and of course lots of perfect little cherry tomatoes! Together this simple pasta salad recipe tastes just like a BLT and that’s pretty great for all of us sandwich lovers out there. Enjoy your tortellini picnic salad whenever the mood strikes, serve it up as a main dish or a side dish and it’s sure to be enjoyable just the same!
Ingredients
- Frozen cheese tortellini
- Fresh spinach
- Yellow cherry tomatoes
- Red cherry tomatoes
- Strips cooked bacon
- Plain Greek yogurt
- Buttermilk
- Ranch seasoning
- Garlic cloves
For the exact amounts needed, please see the recipe card below.
How to Make BLT Tortellini Salad
Prepare the tortellini according to the package instructions. and then rinse in cold water and drain.
Place the tortellini into a large bowl and add in the tomatoes, spinach, and bacon
In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, milk, garlic, and ranch seasoning until smooth.
Pour the mixture over the pasta and toss well to coat.
Serve chilled or at room temperature.
FAQs
How long is BLT salad good for?
Once this salad has been fully assembled it’s good for up to 2 hours at room temperature or for up to 2 days stored well covered in the fridge. Just keep in mind that the salad will become wilted and soft the longer than it rests.
Can I make BLT tortellini salad in advance?
Yes, you can make all of the components for this salad in advance but don’t actually assemble it until ready to serve. This means keep your bacon in a little baggy, spinach leaves in another container, and tomatoes in their own container as well. This will help to keep everything from getting soft, floppy, or unappetizing in appearance.
The dressing for this salad can be prepared up to a few days in advance if kept stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Just shake or mix well before using.
Can I use regular lettuce?
Absolutely! If you don’t want to use spinach leaves you can use regular iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, or even arugula instead. All will taste great and add fresh green to your bowl!
If you love BLTs then you may also enjoy these BLT recipes
BLT Tortellini Salad
This tortellini salad is tossed with a Greek yogurt dressing, bacon, lettuce and tomato!
Ingredients
- 1 19oz bag frozen cheese tortellini
- 1 cup torn, fresh spinach
- 1 cup yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup red cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3 strips cooked bacon, chopped
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon Ranch seasoning
- 2 cloves of garlic
Instructions
- Prepare tortellini according to package directions. Rinse in cold water and drain. Place in a large bowl. Add tomatoes, spinach and bacon to pasta.
- In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, milk, garlic and ranch seasoning until smooth. Pour over pasta and toss to coat.
Julie @ Julie's Eats & Treats says
I grow more weeds than plants in my garden… I need to give up and admit defeat and just go to the store!! This looks like a perfect refreshing salad on a hot summer day!
Lemonsforlulu says
I admit defeat. I suck at gardening! Turns out the store has some good tomatoes!
Becca @ Crumbs and Chaos says
This looks like the perfect summer side dish! I love tomatoes 🙂
Lemonsforlulu says
I heart tomatoes too! Thanks Becca!
Tonia says
Fantastic! That could be a main dish for me!
Jessica @ A Kitchen Addiction says
I love tortellini salads! Yours looks wonderful!
Lemonsforlulu says
Thank you Jessica!
Ed M says
You’ve GOT to be kidding. Just yesterday I agreed to take a pasta salad to a party on Saturday and was wondering what to take when I saw this recipe! From the lady who gave us the Blueberry Coffee Cake with Coconut Streusel? You are so on! I’ll let you know how it goes.
Lemonsforlulu says
Let me see if I can guess what recipe you need next and I’ll post it! Thank you Ed!
The Better Baker says
Oh how beautiful this salad is! Fresh tomatoes are my favorite summer veggie. You make everything look so inviting. Thanks much for sharing at Weekend Potluck – and for linking back.
Pauline Molinari says
Yum!!!! This looks amazing! Thanks for sharing your recipe on the Monday Funday Party! Can’t wait to try it out!
Cathy@LemonTreeDwelling says
This looks like the perfect summer pasta salad and I love that the dressing is made with Greek yogurt! And thank goodness for parents’ gardens, right?? I rely on my parents for tomatoes, too!
The Better Baker says
Wanted you to know this awesome recipe is one of our features at this week’s Weekend Potluck party. Thank you SO much for sharing…you have all of us drooling! Please be sure and come back again…and again. https://thebetterbaker.blogspot.com/2014/07/kid-friendly-ice-cream-in-bag-weekend.html
Lemonsforlulu says
Yay! Thank you so much Marsha!