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Dilly Bacon Pasta Salad with Bell Pepper, Tomato, Feta & Italian Dressing

Forget everything you know about those ‘80s-era pasta salads (which, let’s face it, were mostly mayonnaise). Our version is a game-changer, packed with all kinds of flavor bombs and textural contrasts for a fresh spin on a beloved classic. We start with curly cavatappi tossed with shallot, tomato, bell pepper, carrot, and a zippy Italian dressing. Next comes extra-crispy chopped bacon, tangy crumbled feta, and a shower of chopped dill for fresh herbaceousness throughout. Now that’s a pasta salad to remember!

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Seasonal New dinners
Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 servings 4 servings
  • 6 oz cavatappi pasta
  • 4 oz bacon
  • 1 tomato
  • 1 bell pepper
  • 3 oz carrot
  • 1 shallot
  • 0.25 oz dill
  • 3 oz italian dressing
  • 1 tsp chili flakes
  • 0.5 cups feta cheese
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 12 oz cavatappi pasta
  • 8 oz bacon
  • 2 tomatoes
  • 2 bell peppers
  • 6 oz carrot
  • 1 shallot
  • 0.5 oz dill
  • 6 oz italian dressing
  • 2 tsp chili flakes
  • 1 cup feta cheese
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • salt
  • pepper

Instructions

  1. • Wash and dry produce.
    • Bring a large pot of salted water to a
    boil. Once boiling, add cavatappi to
    pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until
    al dente, 9-11 minutes.
    • Drain and rinse cavatappi with cold
    water; shake off any excess water.
  2. • While pasta cooks, heat a medium dry
    pan over medium-high heat. Add
    bacon*; cook, turning occasionally and
    adjusting heat if browning too quickly,
    until crispy, 6-10 minutes.
    • Turn off heat; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Once cool enough to
    handle, roughly chop.
  3. • Meanwhile, dice tomato into ½-inch
    pieces. Halve, core, and dice bell
    pepper into ½-inch pieces. Trim, peel,
    and thinly slice carrot into rounds.
    Halve, peel, and thinly slice half the
    shallot (whole shallot for 4 servings).
    Roughly chop dill.
  4. • In a large bowl, whisk together Italian
    dressing, a drizzle of olive oil, and as
    many chili flakes as you like. Taste and
    season with salt and pepper if desired.
    • Add tomato, bell pepper, carrot, and
    shallot to bowl; toss until fully coated.
  5. • Once cavatappi is drained and rinsed,
    transfer to bowl with veggie mixture.
    Add half the bacon, half the feta, and
    as much dill as you like.
    • Toss until fully combined. Taste and
    season with salt and pepper if desired.
  6. • Divide pasta salad between shallow
    bowls. Top with remaining bacon and
    remaining feta. Serve.
    Bacon is fully cooked when internal temperature reaches 145°.