The fact of the matter is, I’m short on time today. I ran errands after work, came home to prep stuff for a few different recipes, and then spent an hour cleaning the house. I threw together a quick dinner and am now trying to get caught up on blog posts. Right now I have no shortage of recipes to share with you–it’s the writing and all of the behind the scenes work that I’m a little behind on. So instead of sharing a story with you or going on and on about this pasta salad, we’re going short and sweet today. You understand, right?!
Don’t let my brevity in this post deter you from making this pasta salad. Earlier this summer we were visiting my parents and there were leftovers of this salad in the fridge. We sampled it, were huge fans, and I nabbed the recipe from my mom when we left at the end of the weekend. I finally got around to making it and it was just as good as we remembered. I used Greek yogurt instead of mayo, simply because I’m convinced my mayo had been in my fridge for WAY too long. You could use either, or even a combination. Enjoy!
Print
Green Bean, Grape, and Bacon Pasta Salad
- Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
An untraditional spin on pasta salad starring green beans, grapes, and bacon.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (115 g) chopped pecans
- 8 bacon slices
- 1 lb (450 g) fresh green beans, trimmed and cut in half
- 1 (8 oz) (225 g) package penne pasta
- 1 cup (240 ml) mayonnaise or Greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup (65 g) sugar
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups (300 g) seedless red grapes, halved
- 1/3 cup (55 g) diced red onion
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Arrange pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 5-7 minutes, until lightly toasted.
- Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium high heat for 5-7 minutes, until crisp. Remove bacon, drain, and crumble.
- Cook beans in boiling salted water for 5 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.
- In a large bowl, whisk together mayo (or Greek yogurt), sugar, red wine vinegar, and salt. Add pecans, green beans, pasta, grapes, and red onion to the mixture, tossing to coat. Season with salt to taste. Cover and refrigerated for 3 hours, or overnight. Just before serving, stir in bacon.
Notes
- from Southern Living Magazine
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 480
If You Liked This Recipe, You’ll Love These
- Warm Asparagus Salad with Bacon, Egg, and Hazelnuts
- Capri Summer Pasta Salad
- Creamy Green Asparagus Soup with Crispy Bacon
- Lemony Chickpea Salad with Spring Onions and Harissa Mustard Dressing
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise?
Yes — the author actually made it this way, swapping Greek yogurt for mayo, and found the result just as good. The recipe lists either 1 cup (240 ml) of mayonnaise or Greek yogurt, and notes that a combination of the two works as well.
Why do the instructions say to stir in the bacon right before serving rather than mixing it in ahead of time?
The salad needs to chill for at least 3 hours (or overnight) for the dressing to soak into the pasta and green beans. Adding the crispy crumbled bacon ahead of that time would cause it to go soggy — so the recipe specifically says to stir it in just before serving to keep it crunchy.
How far ahead can I make this salad?
The recipe says to cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight before serving. Making it the night before works well — just hold the bacon separate and stir it in when you’re ready to serve.
