With crisp and crunchy iceberg lettuce, rich and funky blue cheese, crisp bacon and juicy tomatoes, a well-made wedge salad is a perfect late-summer alternative to a BLT. But even if you drench the lettuce in dressing, a wedge salad alone isn’t a full dinner. The solution? Turn it into a pasta salad. You’ll get all of the flavors of the classic dish but in a meal that’s substantial enough to satisfy even the hungriest eater.
To get the dish done in less than 30 minutes, you’ll need to multitask. While boiling the pasta, you’ll want to cook bacon and salt and drain tomatoes. These tasks are mostly hands-free, so it’s easier to accomplish than you may think.
And instead of whisking together a traditional blue cheese dressing, which would max out our five-ingredient allotment, make a lighter vinaigrette-like dressing from tomato water, bacon fat and pasta cooking water. Stir in warm pasta and crumbled cheese, and the dressing will turn creamy and packed with the flavor of each component.
Treat the lettuce as you would a handful of fresh herbs. Shred it finely, then add it at the very end; it’ll keep its crisp integrity while still incorporating itself into every bite.
Wedge Salad Pasta Salad
Kosher salt
1 pound short dried pasta, such as radiatore, orecchiette or rigatoni
6 slices thick-cut bacon, thinly sliced
2 beefsteak tomatoes, diced
8 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
4 cups shredded iceberg lettuce (about 1/2 head)
Freshly ground black pepper
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, 7 to 9 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
While the water comes to a boil and the pasta cooks, place the bacon in a 10-inch skillet with 1 tablespoon water. Cover and place over medium heat. Cook until the bacon renders its fat, about 10 minutes, then uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the water has evaporated and the bacon is crisp, about 5 more minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate; leave all of the rendered fat in the skillet.
While the pasta and bacon cook, stir together the tomatoes and 1 teaspoon salt in a colander or fine-mesh strainer set over a large bowl to collect the tomato juice. Let drain.
Once the bacon and pasta are done, set aside the colander of tomatoes. Add the bacon fat to the bowl with the tomato juice and whisk to combine. While whisking, pour in 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water to make a dressing. Add the cooked pasta, bacon, tomatoes and blue cheese. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until the pasta is coated in a creamy sauce. If there isn’t enough dressing to fully coat the pasta, stir in additional pasta cooking water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until pasta is fully coated. Season to taste with black pepper.
Add the shredded lettuce and stir gently to combine. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 4 hours before serving.
Serves 6.
Per serving: 479 calories (percent of calories from fat, 31), 23 grams protein, 60 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams total sugars, 3 grams fiber, 16 grams total fat (9 grams saturated), 39 milligrams cholesterol, 806 milligrams sodium.
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