BLT Bow Tie Pasta Salad
I first had this summery salad at a family reunion. It's one of my husband's favorite dinners. Sometimes, we leave out the chicken and serve it as a side dish instead.
I first had this summery salad at a family reunion. It's one of my husband's favorite dinners. Sometimes, we leave out the chicken and serve it as a side dish instead.
- Carbohydrate 3.39914161727972 g
- Cholesterol 3.84000000295872 mg
- Fat 3.67807229847034 g
- Fiber 0.946235851639738 g
- Protein 0.718329777718622 g
- Saturated Fat 0.614226695151881 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (71g)
- Sodium 78.2732572686809 mg
- Sugar 2.45290576563999 g
- Trans Fat 0.245470420824649 g
- Calories 47 calories
Step-by-step
- Cook pasta according to package directions.
- Drain and rinse under cold water.
- In a large bowl, combine romaine, chicken, tomato, bacon and pasta.
- In a small bowl, whisk mayonnaise, water, barbecue sauce, vinegar and pepper.
- Pour over salad; toss to coat.
- Serve immediately.
Crisp romaine provides the structural backbone of this dish, requiring immediate service upon tossing to maintain its crucial cellular rigidity before moisture from the dressing softens the leaves. Rinsing cooked bow tie pasta under cold tap water immediately halts starch gelatinization and cools the exterior, preventing the pieces from sticking together while absorbing the condiment evenly. Standard pasta sizing dictates using roughly one pound of dried farfalle to yield approximately six cups cooked, keeping ratios balanced if you need to multiply the batch for a larger gathering. Halving the quantities requires careful measurement of liquids to maintain emulsion stability, ensuring the reduced-fat mayonnaise and barbecue sauce coat every surface without pooling at the base of the serving bowl.
Whisking the dressing components separately in a small vessel allows the white vinegar and pepper to fully disperse into the mayonnaise base before meeting the solid ingredients. Adjusting the barbecue sauce proportion up by half a teaspoon introduces more smoke and molasses notes if your condiment leans heavily on tomato paste. Tossing the cubed cooked chicken breast directly into the dressing mixture for five minutes prior to combining with the greens helps the protein absorb seasoning deeply. Freshly diced tomatoes should be seeded thoroughly before cutting to eliminate excess watery juice that would otherwise dilute the dressing viscosity.
Scaling this formulation upward for catering requires keeping the dressed greens strictly separate from the pasta and proteins until thirty minutes before service to preserve texture. Leftovers do not hold well past twenty-four hours in refrigeration because the salt content draws moisture out of the romaine and tomatoes, creating a soggy mixture. Substituting spinach or arugula for the torn romaine works effectively at a one-to-one volume ratio, though denser greens demand an extra splash of water in the dressing to maintain fluidity. Chilling the cooked chicken completely below 40 degrees Fahrenheit before mixing prevents premature wilting of the lettuce leaves during the final toss.
Pairing this dish with grilled flank steak or garlic-rubbed pork chops provides a substantial protein contrast that grounds the lighter salad elements. Serving crusty sourdough bread alongside offers a textural counterpoint to absorb stray drops of the tangy mayonnaise dressing remaining on the plate. Room-temperature roasted corn kernels folded into the mix add a sweet pop that complements the smoky bacon bits without overwhelming the primary BLT flavor profile. Garnishing the top with extra cracked black pepper just prior to bringing the bowl to the table sharpens the visual presentation and accentuates the savory elements.
