Bacon! Avocado, & Tomato Pasta Salad

It's the season where it's time to start thinking about what we're bringing to the BBQ.  And anytime I bring something other than desserts, I get the "Wha-What?!"  Boo.  Hiss.  Maybe what you're throwing at me now...WHERE'S THE COOKIES?!

But just so all ya' all know, I do make things other than dessert.  Rarely.  But, I do.  So when I find savory recipes that I enjoy, I vow to share them with you.  Expand my horizons a little, shall we say?

Now, if you weren't aware, I'm a huge fan of Pinterest.  Yeah, I was a fan before it became cool, I'm trendy like that.  Or maybe not, but I was definitely there before you had to worry about what pin you clicked on for fear of spam.  I'm hating on you, spammers!

Anyway, if you follow me (which you should) then you may know I'm a HUGE fan of anything with avocado, and anything with bacon.  And I'm most definitely giddy if the two are together, which they happen to be in this pasta salad I'm sharing with you today.

This pasta salad has a beautiful balance of flavors.  Mostly though, it has the balance between the healthy fat of avocados, and the maybe-not-so-healthy fat of bacon.  The healthy and the unhealthy just cancel each other out, so don't worry about it and just enjoy some yummy pasta salad!

Bacon! Avocado & Tomato Pasta Salad
adapted from Life's Ambrosia
p.s.  Double this recipe, at least, if you want to take it to a larger gathering

- 6 slices bacon*, cooked and chopped
- 1/2 lb. dried rotini pasta
- 1/2 c. mayonnaise
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. white pepper*
- 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro*
- 1 c. halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 avocado, cut up

Cook your bacon, drain and dab of excess fat with paper towels.  Set aside to cool down.

Cook your pasta according to the box instructions.  I usually cook a couple minutes longer because I don't like any of my pasta to be "harder".  Drain and rinse with cold water until pasta is noticeably cooler.  Place cooled pasta in a large bowl.

Chop your tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, and cooled bacon.  Toss on top of pasta.

In a small bowl, whisk together mayo, lemon juice, salt, garlic powder, and white pepper.  Pour dressing over pasta, and stir gently to coat evenly.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.  Serve and enjoy!

Cookie Mama's notes:

* I love to bake my bacon if I ever need more than a couple slices.  Line a baking sheet with foil.  Place strips of bacon on foil and place in oven.  Set temperature to 400 degrees, the oven does NOT need to preheat.  Bake for 18-23 minutes depending on how well you like your bacon cooked (watch it)- I like it crispier and prefer that texture in a pasta salad.  

Baking bacon is the best!  No splatter!  No mess-just throw foil liner away!

* I have white pepper, but only because my husband and mother-in-law use it for some of their delicious Asian dishes they whip up.  I can handle it in small amounts, but it definitely has a unique flavor unlike black pepper.  Sub the black pepper for white, or use another spice you think would work well.

* Mmmm, cilantro.  I love it and I think it pairs nicely with avocado and tomato.  The original recipe calls for dill.  I also thought of using chives.  Again, use what you have on hand or like!