BLT Pasta Salad
Serves 8
Salt
1 pound farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces bacon slices, cut into 1-inch pieces (ahem, who measures bacon, a whole 1lb pkg, PLEASE) cooked til crispy by any method you prefer
4 cups grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1 1/2 cups (3 to 4 ounces) stemmed, coarsely chopped arugula ( I used spinach)
1 cup chopped red onion
Dressing
1/2 cup regular or reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar ( I used 1-2 TBSP, I also think red wine vinegar would taste awesome)
Coarsely ground black pepper
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add pasta. Cook according to package instructions, until al dente, then drain and transfer to a large, shallow nonreactive serving bowl. Toss pasta with olive oil and set aside. Add the bacon, tomatoes, arugula, and onion to bowl with pasta and mix well.
To make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, half of the Parmesan cheese, vinegar, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Add to bowl with pasta and toss well to coat pasta with dressing. Add the remaining Parmesan cheese, and toss well to mix. Taste and season salad with more salt and pepper if needed. (Salad can be prepared 1 hour ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and leave at cool room temperature.)
I made my salad and dressing separate and mixed them together close to serving time.
