Rotini Pasta Salad with Avocado (Bacon Avocado Club)

★★★★★2 votes

This Pasta Salad with Avocado combines the flavors of a bacon avocado club with a fully loaded pasta salad. It’s a simply scrumptious rotini pasta salad recipe that will knock your socks off! Find out how to make this easy pasta salad! 

There are so many yummy flavors in this great recipe. The cherry tomatoes, crispy bacon, and black olives are a power packed flavor combination that I love.

I think that it’s the perfect side dish for the entire family to eat. It’s such an easy salad to whip up, and avocado lovers will appreciate this good food as well. 

If I could eat this on a daily basis, there’s a good chance that I would.

It’s not only the perfect recipe for summer, but it’s one of the best pasta salad recipes to share with family and friends.

The last time that I made it, I paired it with BLT sandwiches and a side of fresh vegetables and it was a huge hit! 

Pasta Salad with Avocado

Perfectly tangy with fresh pops of tomato and creamy avocado, this loaded pasta salad has all of the flavors you are craving.

Even better, it’s incredibly easy to put together for a last-minute meal or potluck! 

Chop the fresh ingredients while you cook the noodles and bacon, then combine everything in one bowl.

While this rotini noodles recipe makes more than enough pasta salad with avocado for a full meal, you could enjoy a smaller serving with your favorite sandwich!

It’s also a wonderful option for potlucks, as are any of my other pasta salad recipes — and it tastes delicious with cookout favorites like a rib eye steak or grilled chicken.

Craving something a bit different? Instead of the usual rotini pasta recipes, try this tortellini version or one that tastes just like a Muffuletta sandwich!

Both are just as easy to throw together and ready in under 30 minutes.

For another club-style pasta salad, try our loaded, hearty Cobb Pasta Salad!

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

• Rotini – A tri-color box typically comes in a 12 oz. size, but the all-white rotini is 16 oz. Either will work for this rotini pasta salad recipe. 
  
  Obviously, the larger box will yield more, so you may want to use a little less dressing with a smaller amount of rotini pasta. Rotini is my favorite pasta to use for this dish. 
  
• Bacon – Substitute diced salami or grilled chicken for the bacon, or use all three! For a vegetarian option, replace the crumbles with fresh Parmesan or seasoned chickpeas.
  
• Cheese – Cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Pepper Jack are all fantastic substitutes for Colby Jack. You could even use a combination of your favorites!
  
• Italian Dressing – We love Newman’s Own, but if you have a favorite brand, feel free to use it. Or, you can make homemade Olive Garden salad dressing.
  
• Pepperoncini – These pickled chiles are scrumptious and mildly spicy. If you’re sensitive to spicy foods, feel free to leave them out.

That being said, you can add other ingredients and summer produce to this salad as well. 

Any type of juicy tomatoes will work, and I also think that added red onion would be delicious as well. During summer, sweet corn kernels are never a bad idea either! 

Don’t forget that you can squeeze some fresh lime juice on top of this avocado pasta salad recipe to give it a yummy citrus flavor. 

I also love to add fresh basil and fresh cilantro to the top for a pop of flavor! 

You could even add cooked chicken breast for a pop of protein, kalamata olives for a salty flavor, lemon zest or lemon juice for a burst of citrus, black beans for more protein and fiber, and anything else that you’re craving. The cooked pasta makes the perfect base for adding simple ingredients. 

Kitchen Tools You Will Need

• Pot and strainer for the noodles
• Large bowl – I use a clear glass bowl so pasta salad with avocado can be the star of the show!
• Salad tongs – These bamboo hands help to toss everything gently and are attractive enough for serving as well.
• Citrus juicer – This gets every last drop out, which makes juicing lemons so much easier!

Rotini Pasta Salad Recipe FAQ

Kitchen Hack for Slicing Small Tomatoes

1. Grab two rimmed lids — the ones from storage containers work great — and flip one upside down.
2. Place a handful of tomatoes on top, then cover them with the other lid, so the rims are facing each other. 
3. Hold the top lid in place with one hand while you slide a serrated knife between the lids.

You’ll have perfect halves in seconds! This trick works with pitted olives and cherries as well.

Prep Ahead Instructions

Pasta salad with avocado tastes even better when chilled, so it’s the perfect meal prep recipe!

Since the noodles continue to absorb the dressing as it sits, I recommend tossing them with half of the dressing to start — then, add the rest just before serving.

You could also portion out the entire bowl of loaded pasta salad for lunches! 

Still, add only half of the dressing, then divide the rest into small containers to mix into each serving.

Storing Leftover Loaded Pasta Salad

Whether you make like to make rotini pasta recipes ahead of time or to divide up for meal prep, this bacon avocado pasta salad can be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.

And I actually think that this delicious recipe has even more flavor when you store and try it the next day! 

Keep extra dressing on hand to refresh leftovers as needed, or simply add a drizzle of oil for moisture.

Enjoy!

With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.

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Originally published March 2019, last updated and republished June 2025

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