Creamy Bacon Avocado Pasta Salad

Summer BBQ ready? Creamy Bacon Avocado Pasta Salad is the star side dish you’ve been looking for! Packed with creamy goodness, smooth avocado, juicy tomatoes, and crispy bacon, it’s a flavor explosion in every bite.

Plus, it’s super easy to make and budget-friendly. Just scale up the recipe to feed a hungry crowd – they’ll be begging for seconds!

Why this pasta salad is the perfect BBQ side

• Crowd-Pleasing: This salad has something for everyone – creamy, salty, and fresh! It’s guaranteed to be a hit with all your guests.
• Summery Vibes: Light, refreshing, and bursting with flavor, this salad is perfect for those warm BBQ days.
• Easy to Scale Up: Need to feed a large group? Simply double or triple the recipe – it’s that easy!
• Budget-Friendly: Made with simple ingredients, this salad won’t break the bank.

So ditch the boring side dishes and whip up this creamy avocado masterpiece! It’s the perfect way to impress your guests and bring a touch of summer fun to your next BBQ.

Tips for Making the Best Creamy Bacon Avocado Pasta Salad

Pasta Perfection:

• Pick the Right Pasta: Short pasta shapes like rotini, penne, or farfalle work best in this salad. They hold onto the creamy dressing and other ingredients well.
• Don’t Overcook: Cook the pasta according to package directions for “al dente” – meaning it should have a slight bite to it. Overcooked pasta can become mushy in the salad.
• Rinse it Right: After draining the pasta, consider rinsing it with cold water to stop the cooking process and prevent it from sticking together.

Bacon Bliss:

• Crispy is Key: Cook the bacon until it’s nice and crispy. This adds a delicious salty and smoky flavor to the salad. Drain the bacon on paper towels to remove excess grease.
• Size Matters: Chop the bacon into bite-sized pieces for even distribution throughout the salad.

Avocado Allure:

• Perfect Timing: Avocados can brown quickly, so wait until just before serving to chop and add them to the salad. Tossing them with a bit of lemon juice can help prevent browning.
• Ripeness Matters: Choose avocados that are ripe but still firm. If they’re too soft, they’ll become mushy in the salad.

Black Olive Bonanza:

• Variety is Key: Explore different types of black olives for a flavor twist. Kalamata olives offer a briny and slightly bitter taste, while black mission olives are milder.
• Slice it Up: Slice the olives into rings or halves for easier eating and better distribution throughout the salad.

Dressing Delight:

• Make it from Scratch: Consider making your own creamy dressing for a fresher flavor. You can use mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, buttermilk, or a combination for a creamy base. Add herbs like dill or parsley for extra depth of flavor.
• Don’t Drown it: Add the dressing a little at a time and toss gently to coat the pasta and ingredients evenly. It’s better to start with a little less and add more to your desired consistency.

Bonus Tip:

• Assembly Matters: For the best texture, if you’re making this up a bit ahead of time. Wait to add the avocado and chopped fresh herbs (like parsley or chives) until just before serving. This prevents the avocado from browning and the herbs from wilting.

What are the best main dishes to serve with pasta salad?

To be honest, pasta salad goes with almost anything. But these are three things we love to eat it with.

• Garlic Overload Burgers
• Barbecue Bacon Cheddar Chicken
• Queso Kielbasa Dogs

Things like hot dogs, barbecue chicken, burgers, brats, steak and more!

Complete BBQ Meal Plan:

• Drink: Easy Orange Creamsicle Cocktails
• Drink: Skinny Rosemary Lime Vodka Fizz
• Salad: Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette
• Salad: Creamy Blueberry Spinach Salad
• Sides: Grilled Lemon Pepper Asparagus
• Sides: Grilled Corn with Garlic Herb Butter
• Main: Best BBQ Burgers Ever
• Dessert: Pina Colada Cupcakes
• Dessert: Almond Joy Cupcakes

Additions and Substitutions

pasta – Use any type or style of pasta to make this salad. We also really love it with Farfalle (bow tie pasta).

sauce – you can substitute the mayo for prepared ranch dressing if desired, to give it a whole different flavor.

crunch – if you want a bit more crunch in this salad, adding chopped nuts, chopped pickles or capers is a great way to add a little crunch to the salad.

additions – sliced hard boiled egg, chopped peppers, sliced mushrooms, chopped herbs, shredded cheese, feta or goat cheese or mozzarella pearls.

Truthfully the possibilities are endless.

How to Store Leftover Pasta Salad

Safe Storage Strategies:

• Cool It Down Completely: This is crucial to prevent bacterial growth and keep the flavors fresh.
• Separate is Best: The key to storing this salad is to keep the avocado and dressing separate from the other ingredients. This prevents the avocado from browning and the pasta from becoming soggy.
  • Here’s how to do it: Divide the leftover salad into two separate airtight containers. In one container, store the cooked pasta, bacon, black olives, and any other non-avocado ingredients.
  • In the other container, store the leftover dressing and any chopped fresh herbs (like parsley or chives) you might have added.
  • Leftover chopped avocado can be stored in a separate container with a little lemon juice to prevent browning.

Fridge or Freeze?

• Fridge Friendly: Leftovers will stay safe in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, although the avocado will start to brown.
• Freezing Not Recommended: Freezing the entire salad with the avocado is not recommended as the texture of the pasta and avocado will be negatively affected upon thawing.

Making the Recipe

Creamy Bacon Avocado Pasta Salad

Nicole Cook

A creamy and delicious pasta salad filled with delicious bacon, tomatoes, and avocado.

4.84 from 25 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Servings 12

Calories 450 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 16 ounces tri-color spiral pasta
• 1 ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons garlic salt
• ½ teaspoons white pepper can use red or black pepper
• 2 teaspoons dry dill
• 1 lemons juiced
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
• ½ cups sliced black olives optional
• 2 avocados pitted and cut into 1" pieces
• 12 slices bacon cooked, drained and cut into 1" pieces

Instructions

 

• Boil the pasta as directed on the package. Drain and then rinse with cold water to cool the pasta.
• In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise, garlic salt, white (or red or black) pepper, the dill and the juice from the 1-2 lemons. Remember to save a few tablespoons of the lemon juice for the avocado. (keeps it from browning).
• In a small bowl, toss the avocado in a few tablespoons of lemon juice. (Usually what I do is squeeze ALL the lemon juice into the avocado bowl, toss well and then the remainder gets poured into the mayo mixture).
• Pour the drained and cool pasta into a large serving bowl. Add the tomatoes, sliced bacon, black olives and the avocado. Gently stir in the mayo mixture.
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.
• Serve cold. Delicious with burgers, sandwiches, steaks – whatever!

Nutrition

Calories: 450kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 8gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 13gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 1320mgPotassium: 374mgFiber: 4gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 510IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 30mgIron: 2mg

Keyword easy pasta recipes, easy salad recipes

Tried this recipe?Please leave us a rating and then share a photo on Pinterest or Instagram and tag us @dailydishrecipes or #dailydishrecipes — we can’t wait to see what you’ve made!

Share this Recipe!