This recipe for bacon & green onion pasta salad makes a quick and delicious lunch or is perfectly prepared ahead for a picnic or barbecue. Why not serve with Moroccan spiced vegetable cous cous for the perfect picnic partner?
Today was my son’s last day of school (finally). They finish quite late in the UK and I start itching to have my son home with me in mid-June when friends back home start to post on Facebook that school’s out.
They have a family picnic on the last day of school. It’s a really nice day for the kids and parents alike. I made a huge batch of this salad for it and it was the only thing that was eaten without a trace of anything left in the container (except my chocolate chip cookies)!
Why this recipe works:
- The vinegar and mayonnaise are a creamy and tangy base for the pasta.
- Bacon and cucumbers make for a salty and crunchy texture everyone will love.
- It’s perfect for making it into a lunch to take to work and eat at your desk.
This bacon & green onion pasta salad is really amazing! The bacon & green onions add a different spin on your everyday macaroni salad.
It’s one of my favorite things to make in the summertime because you can eat however much you like and it’s a very fresh and light meal to eat in the hot weather when you don’t feel like cooking or heating up the kitchen.
If you’re a fan of pasta salad, check out some of my other recipes…
Recipe variations:
- Have leftover chicken? Chop it up into cubes and add to make this a main meal.
- For a lower fat option, use low-fat mayonnaise.
Food Safety For Warmer Weather:
- To prevent rapidly growing bacteria from forming, Food shouldn’t be unrefrigerated for more than 2 hours or limit the time to one hour if the outdoor temperature is higher than 90° F.
★ Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!
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Let's Make Best Ever Easy Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 12 strips of bacon cooked and chopped
- 2 cups dried pasta cooked, rinsed, and drained
- 3 green onions sliced into rounds
- ½ cup cucumber chopped
- ½ teaspoon mustard
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
- ½ cup mayonnaise plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine the bacon, pasta, cucumber, and green onions.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, salt & pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and stir to combine.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve. Store covered in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days.
Tips + Notes
- Have leftover chicken? Chop it up into cubes and add to make this a main meal.
- For a lower fat option, use low-fat mayonnaise.
- Use your favorite salad dressing, there are no hard and fast rules here!
- Bulk it up with some crumbled feta cheese or mozzarella balls.
- Spice up your pasta salad with some flaked red pepper.
- Make the pasta salad ahead and keep it in the refrigerator for a day before to let the flavors soak in.
Nutrition Information:
Update Notes: This post was originally published in July of 2014, but was republished with tips, FAQs, and variations in July of 2018.
Maryse says
Excellent
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you Maryse, I’m glad you liked the recipe 🙂