When I was contacted by Hodgson Mill to be one of their fifty bloggers and home cooks participating in their second annual Summer Pastabilities contest and receive a box of pasta products, I immediately begin to think of an original pasta salad recipe I could submit. After all, I never turn down a chance to have pasta and to me, nothing is better on a hot summer day than a cool pasta salad, unless maybe it is a rich, creamy dessert. This dish is made healthier with the addition of Hodgson Mill wheat bow tie pasta that is low in fat, cholesterol-free, high in fiber, AND certified non-GMO. (They also make gluten free pasta so my daughter can enjoy her favorite pasta dishes too!)
Blue Cheese, Pear & Nut Pasta Salad Recipe & Hodgson Mill #SummerPastabilities Giveaway
Recipe Type: Salads
Cuisine: American
Author:
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
A grown up pasta salad that is perfect for light lunches.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces bow tie pasta
- 6 oz. blue cheese, crumbled, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 Tbsp vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 cups lettuce, your favorite type, torn into bite-sized pieces
- 2 ripe pears, chopped
- 2/3 cup nuts (use walnuts, pecans, almonds or cashews)
- 6 slices crisp-cooked bacon, crumbled
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the bow ties according to package directions. Drain, rinse under cold water, and place in a large bowl. While the pasta is cooking, spread the nuts on a baking sheet and toast in a 350 degree oven for five minutes. Meanwhile, place the blue cheese, sour cream, buttermilk, sugar, garlic powder and vinegar in a bowl. Use a fork to break up the blue cheese and combine the ingredients to make the dressing. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Add the blue cheese mixture, pears, nuts and bacon to the pasta. Stir until blended. Chill for one to two hours to allow flavors to meld. Serve salad on top of torn lettuce leaves.
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It sounds amazing. I love red pasta but this recipe changed my mind and now i would like to eat this dish. Can i prepare it myself at home.
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macronie salad
I like BLT pasta salads in the summer. My husband makes this and it’s SO good.
My fave is the classic macaroni salad!
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I like a simple Macaroni Salad with vegetables
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Thai-Style Pasta Salad with a peanut butter/soy dressing.
Rotini with black olives, tomatoes, sweet onion, red bell pepper, etc. with a Dijon vinaigrette.
I love Greek pasta salad with some feta and olives – yum!!
I love Greek pasta salad with feta, olives and red peppers
I like a caprese pasta salad with cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and fresh basil.
I like gluten free pasta salad with lots of veggies
Cheddar Broccoli Salad is my favorite in the summer.
I love to make a creamy chicken pasta salad in the summer.
I love macaroni salad.
I love the recipe from Eating Well.com for Curry Chicken Salad. It was sooo good especially since I love anything curry!
This is a great recipe…. I can’t wait to try it!
I lvoe making shrimp pasta salad with onion, peas and Old Bay seasoning.
I love this recipe; sooo european and sooo like me. I love cheese, fruit and nuts in my dinners…. Sooo goona try it this weekend and super excited. Looks amazing and I bet it tastes just as good. Thanks for sharing
I love cold Creamy Avocado Pasta salad on a warm summer day for lunch.
We just had a pasta dish, but this looks way better!
Ooh that sounds yummy! I love blue cheese.
This dish looks so delicious. It’s hard to find recipes with blue cheese in it. I’m printing this recipe out to use ASAP. One of my family’s favorites is pasta salad… I’m sure they will love this one.
My favorite pasta salad is a shrimp pasta salad. It is fresh and flavorful. Your pasta salad sounds really good. I love the combination of ingredients.
Mmmm, this sounds good! I’ve made a pasta salad with broccoli before that was pretty good. I can’t remember the name, but I found it in a vegetarian cookbook that I have. Thanks for the giveaway!
I love a pasta salad that I make with alfredo and chickpeas. This recipe that you have here may move up to my #1 favorite though!
A general macaroni mayo salad with veggies. I love it!
I love a tri color pasta with tomatoes, cucumbers, olives and red peppers. Ranch dressing completes it.
I like an asian green salad with oranges almonds green onions and chicken teriyaki
your salad looks terrific! I LOVE pear and blue cheese
I love macaroni salad with corn on the cob.
I like the macaroni tuna salad in the summertime – it reminds me of BBQs.
I use pasta, peas, diced ham, diced cheese and a little dressing of oil and vinegar and seasoning
I’m loving the combination of flavors in this, Pam. Delicious!
I love blue cheese and I love pasta salad so this recipe is right up my alley. I think this is a great dish that you can easily prepare and enjoy out on the patio or backyard. Thanks for sharing.
This sounds like something I would really enjoy eating!
My Hubs LOVES Bleu Cheese… loves it. Me not so much, but I am going to make this recipe and surprise him.
there is NOTHING that’s not fabulous looking about this!! i’m obsessed with salads lately. yum!
What different flavor combinations. Sounds yummy!
This is a wonderful combination of flavors! I can’t wait to try this recipe.
I love pasta salads too and this looks like it could become my favorite. I would have never thought about adding blue cheese crumbles to it. I love your photo of it.
Oooo – I was going to make a pasta salad, I’ll try this one. Yum! Thank you.
This looks delicious! And such a lovely combination of ingredients!
What a wonderful combination of foods. I love this recipe. Pinning it!
my favorite pasta salad is one I make myself with tri color noodles, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, olives , italian dressing and whatever else I may throw in there
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A different take on pasta salad and not combinations I would have thought of. Good job.
That looks interesting…I’ve never been a huge fan of blue cheese…but that looks kind of good 🙂
That looks AMAZING! I love Dishes with Blue Cheese! I’m pinning this one for sure. 🙂
When I was a child I remember a macaroni/tuna/green peas salad from a school PTA function and once in a while I still make it for myself–but the rest of the family doesn’t like it.
I used to have a great recipe for that but can’t seem to find it any where :/