20-Minute BLT Easy Pasta Salad

We got back from the beach yesterday, and guess what… I’m beat! After 2 hours of packing up the car, 2 hours in the car, and then – wait for it – 2 hours unpacking the dang car, I felt like I was ready for another vacation!!! Or at least a spa day 😉 Hey… a girl can dream, right?

To ease back into the whole real life situation, I decided to take things easy dinner wise and make this incredibly simple 20-minute BLT pasta salad. Creamy, dreamy, and just begging to be your dinner!

The creaminess in this salad is very subtle and comes from the combination of zesty italian dressing and ranch… I know! Sounds a little weird, right? But I promise you the combo is off-the-hook incredible! The Italian dressing gives the pasta a tangy, herby vibe, while the ranch adds just a touch of creaminess. It just works!

Ingredients

• 1 pound bow tie pasta
• 1 cup zesty Italian salad dressing
• 1/2 cup creamy Ranch salad dressing
• 1 pound thick cut bacon, fried until crispy then cut into strips or crumbled (I think strips looks prettier, but it's a little more work)
• 2 large ripe tomatoes, diced (heirlooms work great here if you can get your hands on them)
• 10 leaves of crispy romaine lettuce, washed, dried, and chopped into bite sized pieces
• 1/3 cup red onion, diced
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes.
2. Drain pasta and rinse under cold water until cool.
3. While the water is coming to a boil, heat a skillet over medium heat; add bacon strips, and cook until crispy, about 4 minutes on each side. Transfer bacon to a paper towel lined plate.
4. ..................................

for full instruction please see : bakerbynature.com

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