BLT Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. coloured bow tie pasta (the bag I bought was just called garden bow tie pasta)
- 4 strips thick-sliced bacon, diced
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons minced shallots
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 3 teaspoons sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 cups chopped Romaine lettuce
- 2 cups halved salad tomatoes
Instructions:
- Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water according to package directions.
- Transfer the pasta to a strainer, and rest the strainer in an ice bath to stop the cooking; drain well.
- Cook bacon in a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. I love bacon to be so crispy that it is nearly burnt so I left mine in for quite a while. Transfer bacon to a plate lined with paper towel and reserve 3 tablespoons of the drippings; set aside to cool.
- Whisk together mayonnaise, mustard, shallots, basil, vinegar, and sugar in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
- Stir in pasta, lettuce, tomatoes, and bacon. Toss to coat in the dressing and season the salad with salt and pepper.