BLT Pasta Salad

Pasta salad seems to be one of those dishes that I make the same way every time. It's yummy and great to take to a BBQ or make when having company over. But I was just in the mood to mix it up a little bit and try something NEW and DIFFERENT! When I stumbled across this recipe for BLT Pasta Salad on Pinterest, I knew I just had to give it a try. Of course I had to tweak it a little bit because I thought the original recipe was a bit bland. It needed more bacon too!











· 1 12 oz. package bow tie or corkscrew shaped pasta
· 1/2 cup milk
· 1 16 oz. package lean bacon
· 3 medium ripe tomatoes, cut into chunks
· 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
· 2 cloves garlic, minced
· 1/4 cup mayo
· 1/2 cup sour cream
· ¼ tsp. garlic powder
· 4 tablespoons chopped chives
· 5 cups chopped romaine hearts
· Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water as the label directs. Drain and rinse in cold water. Toss with the milk in a large bowl; set aside.
Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Discard all but 3 tablespoons drippings from the pan. Add the tomatoes, thyme and garlic to the pan and toss until warmed through; season with salt and pepper. Crumble the bacon into bite-size pieces; set aside 1/4 cup for garnish. Toss the remaining bacon and the tomato mixture with the pasta.
Mix the mayonnaise, sour cream and 3 tablespoons chives with the pasta until evenly combined. Season with salt and pepper. Just before serving, add the lettuce; toss again to coat. Garnish with the reserved bacon and the remaining 1 Tbsp. chives.

Note- The lettuce will eventually get soggy so I recommend that if you know the entire salad won’t be consumed in one sitting, only toss the lettuce into the portion of salad that you know will be eaten right away! The lettuce is delicious in it and adds a nice crispy texture when it’s fresh, not soggy!!

-Nicole