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If you have any pasta left over, try this tasty Bacon Pasta Salad. It’s an easy side dish, lunch, or dinner that can be made in no time!
All you need is cooked pasta, creamy bocconcini, crispy bacon, San Marzano tomatoes, and red onion. Top the salad with a herby vinaigrette for an irresistible and filling meal.
It’s great for lunchboxes and meal prep, and only gets better after a few hours in the fridge, where all the flavors come together. If serving later, I like to save half the dressing to toss it in right before serving for a fresh, vibrant taste.
Recipe Tip
Cook the pasta just past al dente so that, if you serve the salad cold, the pasta will still be soft and just right!
Bacon Pasta Salad Ingredients
Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card below for the complete details!
- Pasta: I prefer fusilli or penne for this recipe. It can be added hot or cold.
Bacon: Unsmoked bacon in strips or cubes. - San Marzano tomatoes: For their sweet taste.
- Bocconcini: Also known as mini mozzarella balls. I like to halve mine so they’re even more bite-sized.
- Red onion: I only use half of a small onion so it’s not too overpowering, but adjust to your preference.
- Dressing: Olive oil, white wine vinegar, maple syrup, garlic, Dijon mustard, chopped fresh basil, sea salt, and black pepper.
- Garnish: Yellow pepper and capers.
How to Make Bacon Pasta Salad
- Prepare the bacon: Fry in a medium-sized pan until golden brown.
- Assemble the salad: Add cooked pasta, chopped tomatoes, halved bocconcini, cooked bacon, and diced red onion to your serving platter or bowl.
- Make the dressing: Mix olive oil, white wine vinegar, maple syrup, garlic, Dijon mustard, fresh basil, sea salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. Pour onto the salad. Mix again.
- Final details: Cut out the yellow pepper flowers, arrange them on your pasta salad, and top the flowers with capers.
Possible Variations
- Pasta: Use whatever small pasta shapes you have to hand, such as macaroni, orzo, penne, or rotini.
- Bacon: Try pancetta, guanciale, chopped salami, pepperoni, or shredded chicken.
- Tomatoes: Use any sweet tomatoes you can find. Even roasted tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes would be delicious.
- Bocconcini: Swap for chopped cheddar, fresh mozzarella, feta, or Parmesan cheese.
- Red onion: Yellow onions, green onions, shallots, or caramelized onions.
- Yellow pepper flowers: Feel free to omit to save time.
- Olive oil: Swap the olive oil dressing for a few tablespoons of sour cream or mayo for a creamier bite.
- Add-ins: Add any nuts, chopped cucumbers, olives, peppers, broccoli, peas, pesto, avocado, or chopped fresh herbs.
How to Store Leftovers
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge, and enjoy within 2-3 days.
FAQs
Yes, you can make it the day before. In fact, it’s even better the day marinating in all the different flavors.
Absolutely! It’s delicious either hot or cold.
In that case, double the dressing and add as much as you want. Save any leftover dressing covered separately in the refrigerator for 3-4 days to use in your next salad.
More Easy Dinners
If you make this recipe or any other recipe on Foodbites, then I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to leave a comment and rating below.
Bacon Pasta Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
Pasta salad
- 250 grams cooked pasta, fusilli or penne
- 200 grams tomatoes, San Marzano
- 150 grams bocconcini, halved
- 240 grams bacon, or pancetta
- 1/2 red onion
Dressing
- 8 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- fresh basil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- black pepper
To serve
- 2 mini yellow peppers
- 1 teaspoon capers, to garnish
Instructions
- Cook the bacon in a dry medium-hot pan until golden and browned.
- Drain the bacon on paper towels.
- Place the cooked pasta on a platter.
- Top with chopped tomatoes, mozzarella balls, bacon, and red onion.
- Mix the olive oil, white wine vinegar, maple syrup, dijon, garlic, chopped basil, sea salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl.
- Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and mix well.
- Sprinkle with whole or chopped basil leaves.
- Halve the mini peppers.
- Use the cookie cutter to make the yellow pepper flowers.
- Spread the flowers on top of the salad.
- Add capers in the center of the flowers.
- Serve.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
