BLT Caesar Pasta Salad – Simple Bites

A delicious summer salad mash-up, plus a quick and simple Caesar dressing recipe.

This recipe was born out of my zero waste mindset in the kitchen and love of a summertime BLT sandwich. Recently I found myself with leftovers from two different barbecue events: a classic pasta salad, Caesar dressing and heaps of shredded lettuce.

I scooped up cherry tomatoes from the market, crisped up a few slices of bacon and combined everything in a big bowl. Voila, a new recipe mash-up was created and the BLT Caesar Pasta Salad our favourite new dish of the season!

I absolutely adore the contrast of the chewy pasta with the crisp lettuce. The tomatoes bring a welcome pop of acidity and a creamy dressing ties it all together. This salad hits all the flavours of a beloved BLT, but levels up on the healthy greens.

Read on for the simple recipe. Be sure to scroll all the way down to get my tangy Yogurt Caesar Salad Dressing recipe and suggestions for turning this salad into a protein-rich main dish.

BLT Caesar Pasta Salad Recipe Notes

A classic Caesar salad dressed up for summertime! Here are the ingredients:

Romaine Lettuce – Keep it cold and crisp until just before tossing. You can also use butter lettuce or frisee endive. I like to add some radicchio as well.

Cooked Pasta – Dealers choice! I use whatever I have on hand; shells are my favourite. Best when cooked the day before and chilled.

Parmesano Reggiano – A sharp grated cheese like Parm or pecorino romano is essential for bringing umami to this salad.

Crispy Bacon -The best part of any Caesar salad and/or BLT. You can also use crispy pancetta or prosciutto.

Quick Yogurt Caesar Salad Dressing – Recipe below! It’s quick and easy; perfect for year-round salads.

Cherry Tomatoes – Sweet, vine ripened tomatoes being the T to this BLT Salad and a welcome punch of acidity. I like to keep these at room temperature.

Tips for the BLT Caesar Pasta Salad

• I prefer to go lighter on the dressing, but if you want bolder flavour, toss the pasta thoroughly with the Caesar dressing first, then proceed to dress the whole salad.
• I don’t add croutons; I find it’s makes the salad too heavy with the pasta. But feel free to add them to your creation.
• Punch up the entire dish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. And always finish with freshly ground black pepper.
• Serve the salad immediately after tossing. It’s best when the lettuce is ice cold.

You can make this salad year round! Perhaps leave out the tomatoes if it is not the season.

Make it a Meal

Jazz up this summertime favourite with toppings that really round out this Caesar Pasta Salad into a meal.

High Protein:

Add a grilled chicken breast or a cup of poached, shredded chicken to the finished salad.

Need more Omega-3s? Add a portion of grilled salmon to the side of the salad. Grilled shrimp is also delicious!

Vegetarian Protein:

Add cooked chickpeas or chopped hard boiled eggs to the salad. Better yet, crisp up those chickpeas and use them as croutons.

Cubes of roasted tofu make fantastic, protein-rich ‘croutons’ as well. Here’s our favourite stir-fried tofu.

• 1 large head of romaine lettuce washed, dried
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes room temperature
• 2 cups cooked pasta shells cold
• 1/3 cup Caesar salad dressing homemade, recipe below
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup crispy bacon bits
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil optional

Prep the ingredients

• Prep all BLT ceasar pasta salad ingredients in advance. Wash, dry and shred lettuce. Cut cherry tomatoes in half. Make homemade Caesar dressing. Separately, salad ingredients can hold in the fridge for 24 hours.

Toss the Salad

• In a large bowl, toss the salad and the pasta together with the Caesar dressing. Toss with two large salad tongs until everything is well coated.

• Tumble in the parmesan cheese, bacon and cherry tomatoes. Toss salad gently again. Taste and adjust the seasoning as desired. You may want more dressing.

• Finish the salad with a generous dusting of freshly ground black pepper. Serve the salad at once!

• Optional: sprinkle the salad with fresh, finely chopped basil. It’s the perfect pairing to the BLT flavours.

I like to mix up the greens in this salad. Try half Romaine and half frisee or endive for a fun variation.
Pasta is best when cooked one day in advance and chilled overnight in the refrigerator.
Add croutons if you like! I find the pasta shells replace the bread and I don’t miss them in this salad.

Yogurt Caesar Salad Dressing

This is my summer go-to Caesar dressing, especially for salads that may be sitting around in the sun at a backyard barbecue. It’s mayo-free, bold and tangy thanks to thick Greek yogurt. Still just as creamy as ever!

I keep my vegetarian, but you can add chopped anchovies or anchovy paste. Even a dash of fish sauce adds delicious pop of umami.

Seriously, skip the mayo and try this healthier, tangier yogurt Caesar salad dressing.

• 2 cloves garlic peeled
• 2 Tablspoons capers
• 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup Greek-style yogurt
• 1/2 Lemon juiced
• 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper each

• Finely chop the garlic and the capers. If you have a mortar and pestle, smash them into a paste.

• In a small bowl, stir together the mashed garlic, capers, mustard and yogurt. Mix into a paste.

• Drizzle in the lemon juice form half a juicy lemon – at least 2 Tablespoons! Stir in the parmesan cheese and the olive oil.

• Season the dressing with salt and pepper. Use a lettuce leaf to taste the dressing. Adjust salt and/or lemon juice to suit your taste.

• Scrape the Caesar dressing into a pint jar. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Dressing will keep for one week in the fridge.

This dressing benefits from two or three chopped anchovy fillets or 1/2 teaspoon of anchovy paste. I leave them out if I need the salad to be vegetarian, otherwise, we love our anchovies!