A high-protein BLTA ranch pasta salad

Pasta salad is a quintessential summer barbecue staple. While it’s always a crowd-pleaser and countless varieties of pasta salad exist, it’s not always considered to be a “healthy choice.”

Today’s new recipe (free to everyone!) is a low-carb version that delivers all the flavor and nostalgia without the blood sugar spike. With the July Fourth holiday right around the corner— and The Big 2-5-0 to celebrate this year — it’s a great excuse to go all out with your July Fourth spread!

While I typically share a new recipe and meal plan on the first Thursday of each month, this week’s newsletter strays a bit from the regular schedule.

I don’t know if a meal plan is really what you need heading into the Fourth of July weekend (likely not). But if you are, in fact, in need of a pasta salad for your festivities, I have just the thing. A BLTA ranch pasta salad that’s low-carb, high-protein, and yes, features actual pasta.

It’s a spinoff of my high-protein pasta salad recipe, a blog favorite that combines the classic briny Italian flavors in a light vinaigrette.

In this BLTA-inspired version, crisp bacon, juicy tomatoes, and a creamy, smoky ranch dressing take center stage. It’s so simple to prepare and has all the great flavors of a BLT, but in pasta salad form.

I’ve also created a special menu to offer a little inspiration for this weekend. The entire menu features low-glycemic, low-carb, and gluten-free versions of more traditional summer barbecue fare, along with healthy sides and even low-sugar desserts!

Every recipe is linked, and while some are recipes only available to my paid subscriber community, many are free recipes from the blog.

This pasta salad has all the elements of a BLTA, tossed with tender lupin pasta and a creamy, smoky ranch dressing.

It makes a wonderful side dish, but it can also stand alone as a main meal since lupin pasta is high in protein and fiber (20 grams of protein per serving!). For even more protein, add some grilled chicken to the mix. 😋

Yield: 6-8 servings

Prep time: ~30 minutes

For the smoky ranch dressing

• ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt

• ¾ cup full-fat canned coconut milk

• 3 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped (or 2 teaspoons freeze-dried chives)

• 2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried dill)

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• ½-¾ teaspoon onion powder

• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

• ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika, plus more to taste

• Fine sea salt and grounds of black pepper, to taste

For the pasta salad

• 8 ounces lupin pasta (any shape)

• ½ cup diced red onion

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1-½ cup iceberg or romaine lettuce, rough chop

• 5-6 strips cooked bacon, rough chop

• ¼-⅓ cup chopped fresh chives (optional)

• 1 avocado, diced

1. Combine all of the ranch dressing ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Whisk well, then add salt and pepper to taste. It may also need a dash more of onion powder or smoked paprika. Refrigerate until needed.

2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, then add your lupin pasta. Reduce the temperature to medium and cook the pasta for 5 minutes. Pour the pasta into a colander and run cold water over it to cool it down. Transfer it to a bowl and refrigerate until needed.

3. In a large serving bowl, combine the diced red onion, tomatoes, lettuce, and chopped bacon. Toss to mix. Add the cool pasta, then pour half of the smoky ranch into the pasta salad. Gently mix to evenly coat everything in ranch. Add more dressing if needed.

4. Serve with chopped fresh chives on top. Avocado can be added to the salad right before serving or served on the side.

• If the pasta salad is refrigerated, you’ll notice it may need more ranch dressing. Lupin pasta soaks up some of the dressing as it sits, but the ranch recipe should give you just enough to add some more before serving or to stir it into leftovers the next day.

• Lupin pasta is made from high-protein, low-carb lupin beans. I like Kaizen, but you can also use this recipe with other types of protein pasta.

• Since lupin pasta is high in protein, one serving of this pasta salad is about 20 grams of protein. If needed, increase the protein by tossing the pasta salad with grilled or shredded chicken.

• Greek yogurt: Substitute a coconut yogurt or use an avocado oil mayo (like Chosen Foods).

• Coconut milk: Swap for ½ cup unsweetened almond milk or macadamia milk with ¼ cup cream or half-and-half.

• Bacon: Substitute for 3-4 ounces pancetta.

• Lemon juice: Swap for apple cider vinegar.

• Smoked paprika: You can substitute regular paprika or omit it entirely for a more traditional ranch dressing.

• Iceberg lettuce: I used iceberg or romaine to keep this closer to a BLTA-style pasta salad, but other types of greens will work just fine. Baby arugula or spinach will work, or if you’d like something sturdier, try thinly-sliced Tuscan kale.

Nutritional information is calculated by MyFitnessPal, based on an estimate of 6 servings.

Calories: 276

Total fat: 14 g

Total carbohydrate: 26 g

Dietary fiber: 13 g

Total sugar: 4 g

Protein: 20 g

Total net carbs: 13 g

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Thank you for reading, and for cooking along with me! I wish you a very happy and safe Fourth of July. 🇺🇸