There are certain foods that only seem to taste right during the summer months. Fresh peaches are one of them. Watermelon is another. And then there are tomatoes.

Not the pale pink tomatoes that show up in grocery stores during January and somehow manage to taste like absolutely nothing. I’m talking about real summer tomatoes. The kind that are so ripe you have to slice them over the sink. The kind that smell like sunshine and gardens and all the best parts of July.

Every year, when tomato season arrives, I suddenly remember why people get excited about them.

One of my favorite summer lunches has always been a BLT sandwich. It’s simple, filling, and somehow tastes better when eaten during the hottest months of the year. But lately I’ve been looking for meals that can be made ahead, tucked into the refrigerator, and pulled out whenever nobody feels like cooking.

That’s exactly how this BLT Pasta Salad came to be.

It has everything people love about a classic BLT. Crispy bacon. Fresh tomatoes. Crisp lettuce. A creamy dressing that ties everything together. The pasta turns it into something substantial enough for lunch, dinner, potlucks, cookouts, or those evenings when it’s simply too hot to spend much time in the kitchen.

Around here, those evenings happen quite frequently during July.

One thing I appreciate about recipes like this is how adaptable they are. Want more bacon? Add more bacon. Prefer extra tomatoes? Nobody is going to stop you. If you’ve got garden tomatoes sitting on the counter, this is the perfect way to use them.

In fact, I would argue that the better the tomatoes, the better the entire salad becomes.

Summer BLT Pasta Salad

Ingredients

• 12 ounces pasta (rotini, bowtie, or shells)
• 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• ½ cup diced red onion
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

For the Dressing

• ¾ cup mayonnaise
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water until completely cooled.

While the pasta cools, prepare the bacon and chop the tomatoes, lettuce, and onion.

In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Stir until smooth.

Add the cooled pasta, bacon, tomatoes, onion, and cheese to the bowl. Toss gently until everything is coated in the dressing.

Just before serving, fold in the chopped lettuce.

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to blend.

A Taste of Summer

One thing I’ve learned over the years is that some recipes don’t need to be fancy to be memorable. In fact, the recipes people request over and over again are usually the simplest ones. The dishes that show up at family gatherings, neighborhood cookouts, church suppers, and weeknight dinners because everyone knows they’ll be enjoyed.

This pasta salad falls squarely into that category.

It’s easy enough for an ordinary Tuesday but good enough to bring to a gathering. It celebrates the best part of summer produce season while requiring very little effort, which is honestly my favorite kind of cooking.

And if you’re lucky enough to have fresh garden tomatoes available right now, I highly recommend using them. Summer doesn’t last forever, and neither does tomato season.

The laundry will still be there tomorrow. The emails can wait another hour.

But a bowl of BLT pasta salad made with perfectly ripe summer tomatoes?

That deserves your attention today.