Man, I don’t feel like writing today. But I’m here, so I might as well.
Happy Tuesday, folks. My brain isn’t screwed on quite right. It’s been a hell of a weekend. Life demands forward momentum, however, and if an object in motion stays in motion, then I must keep rolling.
Food right now is a refuge. Developing and photographing is a piece of stability I so desperately desire, when a big piece of my comfort is stripped away, the process in flux, out of my control. Thankfully, this afternoon I established movement, and a big part of my involvement is complete. Now, I wait.
I miss Roly Poly so much. Seeing her, removing the tag, broke my heart. But my oh my is that girl a hero.
Let’s gather around my virtual table, then, and share our griefs, our memories, and our thoughts over Hot Bacon BLT Caprese Pasta Salad. Preferably, if we can convene outside in the sunlight, sounds of sloshing water in the background – or, if that’s inaccessible to you physically, perhaps in your mind’s eye that scene can develop, enliven.
Pasta salad is summer comfort food, and this one combines two of my favorite flavor profiles. The hot bacon dressing is otherworldly: buttery, warm, salty, garlicky. This whole shebang is the MTB’s hot older cousin. Leftovers are even more succulent.
You’ll love this one, so let’s get cooking.
Hot Damn!
This dressing…just glorious.
First, you will need cooked tofu bacon on hand. If you don’t have a batch in your fridge, you can follow the directions in the recipe card and expect an extra 40 minutes or so added to your prep time.
If you prefer to use regular bacon, you can! Chop up raw slices and proceed with the directions as planned. It may take an extra minute or so for the raw bacon to crisp.
Melt butter with some olive oil in a skillet, then stir in your tofu bacon for a minute or so. Add minced garlic and stir, then apple cider vinegar, dijon, and hot honey. Simmer a couple minutes to combine, throwing in a small pinch of salt and pepper for flavor.
A batch of hot honey takes a literal minute to make. Honey, hot sauce, cayenne pepper, garlic and onion powders, and red pepper flakes, microwaved together for about a minute. The whole batch will last a couple weeks in the fridge, and you only need a few tablespoons for the dressing.
Any leftover dressing will keep in the fridge for about a week. Just a heads up!
Dressing done, work on the rest of the salad, which takes no time at all. Boil big pot of water and cook of your choice noodles according to the package directions. Drain, running cold water over the starches to halt the cooking process.
Next, combine the cooked pasta with halved cherry tomatoes, mini mozzarella balls, lots of fresh basil, and a good heap of chopped romaine lettuce. Pour a good amount of the hot bacon dressing into the bowl and toss well to combine. Save the rest of the dressing for serving!
I love adding more crumbled tofu bacon atop my salad. My Pulled BBQ Jackfruit Sliders are the perfect pairing for your poolside soirees!
Leftovers? Pasta salad keeps great for up to a week in the fridge. The lettuce may wilt slightly, but there’s such a small amount that I did not find the texture frightening. I would not recommend freezing.
Enjoy, friends!
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
A trip to Capri in your kitchen:
Creamy Garlic Caprese Pasta Salad
Marinated Tomato Caprese Salad with Creamy Garlic Dressing
Grilled White Wine Caprese Avocado Sandwich
hot bacon BLT caprese pasta salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb short-cut pasta
- 8 oz mini mozzarella balls
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 2 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1/3 cup hot bacon dressing (recipe below)
hot bacon dressing
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 strips tofu or regular bacon, crumbled (see note)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp hot honey (see note)
Instructions
- In a small skillet, melt the butter with the olive oil. Stir in the bacon and garlic for 1 minute, then add the apple cider vinegar, dijon, hot honey, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Simmer 2-3 minutes until combined. Remove from heat.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain, running the noodles under cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Add the pasta to a large bowl along with the tomatoes, mozzarella balls, romaine, and basil, then pour in 1/3 cup of the hot bacon dressing. Toss to combine.
- Transfer to a serving bowl. Drizzle on more dressing and more crumbled tofu bacon, as desired. YUMBO.
Notes
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Drain and press a block of extra firm tofu to remove excess water for about 5-10 minutes. I make a homemade press by placing paper towels on a large plate, then the tofu, then more towels, another plate, and a skillet.
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Preheat oven to 450 degrees and lightly grease a large baking sheet. Slice the tofu very thin (as thin as you can without breaking it) and place onto the baking sheet.
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In a small bowl, whisk 1/3 cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp maple syrup, 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp chili powder, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Pour over the tofu and, using a basting brush, coat each slice. Flip, and brush the sauce over the opposite side. Let sit while the oven heats.
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Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping once halfway through baking time. Let cool on the baking sheet: the tofu will continue to crisp up.
