BLT Pasta Salad

• servings: 8 servings
• active time: 10 minutes
• total time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

8 oz. bacon ($2.30)

3/4 cup mayonnaise ($0.92)

1/4 cup ranch dressing ($0.30)

2 Tbsp lemon juice ($0.12)

1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)

1/4 tsp freshly cracked pepper ($0.02)

12 oz. bowtie pasta* ($1.25)

1 pint grape tomatoes ($1.89)

1/4 red onion ($0.11)

2 cups fresh spinach (packed) ($0.46)

Directions

Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until brown and crispy. Transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and cool. Once cooled, chop or crumble the bacon into smaller pieces.

While the bacon is cooking, prepare the dressing. Stir together the mayonnaise, ranch dressing, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Set the dressing aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook until tender (7-8 minutes). Drain the pasta in a colander, rinse it briefly with cool water to cool it down, then let it drain very well.

While the pasta is cooking and draining, prepare the vegetables. Slice the grape tomatoes in half, finely dice the red onion, and roughly chop the spinach.

Once the pasta is cooled and drained, add it to a large bowl along with the spinach, tomatoes, onions, and dressing. Stir everything together until evenly combined and coated in dressing. Let the pasta sit for 10-15 minutes for the flavors to blend, then stir once more and serve.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 cup
• Calories: 466 kcal
• Total Fat: 31 g
• Sodium: 546 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 36 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2 g
• Protein: 10 g