Italian Chopped Salad With Bacon And Blue Cheese

Name: Italian Chopped Salad With Bacon And Blue Cheese
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped; 1 cup red cabbage, shredded; 2 Roma tomatoes, diced; 3 green onions, sliced; 1 cup ditalini pasta, cooked; 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled; 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles; 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil; 1/4 cup white wine vinegar; 1 clove garlic, minced; 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning; salt, to taste; black pepper, to taste

This Italian chopped salad layers crispy bacon, tangy blue cheese, and tender ditalini pasta over fresh romaine and red cabbage, bound together with a simple garlic vinaigrette. It's a hearty yet refreshing salad that works as a side or light main course.

🍴Copycat

🌍American 🏷️Chopped salad 🏷️Salad 🏷️Pasta salad Italian dressing

🏷️

🏷️Bacon

-0:00

daniela_dishonTikTok

Total

30 min

Servings

4

Difficulty

Easy

Est. Cost

$25–$41

Recipe Source

View original recipe

From TikTok · by daniela_dish

-0:00

daniela_dishonTikTok

Ingredients

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
1 cup red cabbage, shredded
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
3 green onions, sliced
1 cup ditalini pasta, cooked
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste

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Instructions

1
In a large bowl, combine the chopped romaine lettuce, shredded red cabbage, diced tomatoes, and sliced green onions.
2
To make the dressing, combine the olive oil, white wine vinegar, minced garlic, and dried Italian seasoning in a mason jar or small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3
Seal the jar and shake vigorously until the dressing is emulsified.
4
Add the cooked ditalini pasta, crumbled bacon, and blue cheese crumbles to the salad bowl.
5
Pour the dressing over the salad.
6
Toss everything together until all ingredients are evenly coated.
7
Serve immediately and enjoy.

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Tips & Notes

Pro tips

Chop the romaine and cabbage uniformly so they coat evenly with dressing and are easier to eat with a fork.
Cook the ditalini 1 minute under al dente, then cool completely before adding to prevent it from absorbing too much dressing.
Whisk the vinaigrette in a separate bowl and toss the salad gently just before serving to preserve the texture of the greens and pasta.
Pat the bacon dry with paper towels after cooking to remove excess grease, which prevents the salad from becoming oily.

Substitutions

White wine vinegar → red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar (slightly deeper flavor)
Blue cheese → feta or gorgonzola (milder or more pungent tang)
Ditalini pasta → orzo or small shells (similar size and texture)
Bacon → pancetta or prosciutto (different smoke and salt profile)

Storage & make-ahead

Store dressed salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day; undressed components keep separately for 2–3 days and can be tossed fresh when ready to eat.