Dash of Grace: BLT pasta salad

Bring on the salads. Salads are no longer lettuce and tomatoes.

Prep/cook time: 55 minutes

Needs to be refrigerated several hours or overnight

Serves 8

1 (16-ounce) package medium shell pasta

1 pound sliced bacon

1 1/2 cups light ranch-style salad dressing

1 small onion, chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

Leaf lettuce or head lettuce, shredded

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain, and rinse under cold water to cool.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat until browned and crisp. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels. In a large bowl, stir together the ranch dressing, onion, and tomatoes. Mix in the cooled pasta. The pasta will absorb some of the dressing, so don’t worry if it seems like too much. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Serve over a bed of shredded lettuce on a platter or over individual salad plates over lettuce. Crumble bacon over the top just before serving.