BLT Pasta Salad

Bacon. Lettuce. Tomatoes.  It's the making of the perfect sandwich--but with a twist.  How about a BLT pasta salad?  Sound good?  Yeah, I thought so too! 

I made this salad for my work's Christmas party.  It made a huge bowl of salad, and since it was a potluck, we had plenty of salad left over.  It really worked out in Mike's and my favor because we got to enjoy this salad for a few more days.  This fresh salad "feels like summer", so I loved making it for a party in the winter...nothing like adding a taste of summer to a cold day!

BLT Pasta Salad

Serves 10-12

You will need:

1 pound corkscrew shaped pasta

1/2 cup milk
1 pound bacon (I used turkey bacon)
3 medium ripe tomatoes, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 clove garlic, minced
salt
pepper
1/2 cup mayonaise
1/4 cup sour cream
4 tablespoons chopped chives
1/2 head of lettuce, chopped

1.  Cook the pasta as directed on the box.

2.  Drain the pasta and toss it with the milk in the pan you cooked your pasta in.  Set aside.

3.  Fry the bacon in a frying pan until it's crispy.  Drain on paper towels.

4.  Discard all but 3 Tablespoons of the bacon drippings from the pan.  (If you use turkey bacon, you won't have much, so keep any drippings you do have.)

5.  Add the tomatoes, thyme, and garlic to the pan with the bacon drippings.  Cook over low heat until tomatoes are warm.  Season with salt and pepper.

6.  Crumble the bacon into small pieces.

7.  Stir the tomato mixture and bacon into the pasta.

8.  Mix the mayonaise, sour cream, and chives in a small bowl until well combined.  Season with salt and pepper, if needed.

9.  Mix the dressing with the pasta until the pasta is evenly coated.

10.  Stir lettuce into pasta until evenly distributed.  I layered my lettuce and pasta in the serving bowl instead of mixing it through the pasta.

Serve pasta salad at room temperature and refrigerate any leftovers.

Source:  A Bird and a Bean