Creamy Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
User Reviews
5.0
9 reviews
Excellent
Creamy Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
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🥓🎉🙌🏻 This CREAMY pasta salad is ready in just 20 minutes! It's made with rotini pasta that's coated in a creamy ranch dressing and tossed with bacon, peas, cheddar cheese, and more! It’s the perfect FAST and EASY side dish to bring to summer potlucks and barbecues. Or serve it for a tasty lunch or as part of a quickie weeknight dinner that's a sure-fire family FAVORITE!
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Ingredients
- 12 ounce dry rotini pasta or other small-shaped pasta such as elbow macaroni, ziti, penne, wheels, bowties, etc.
- 1 cup mayonnaise* see Tips in Step 2
- ⅓ to ½ cup milk* see Tips in Step 2
- 1 ounce dry ranch seasoning mix
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste
- 10 lices Bacon cooked and crumbled
- 1 cup Cherry or grape tomatoes halved
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 cup peas if using frozen, make sure they are thawed and drained; or use fresh peasw
- 1 cup red bell pepper diced into small pieces
- ½ cup red onion diced very small
- 4 ounces black olives sliced (from a can, drained well)
Instructions
- Cook pasta to al dente according to package directions. Rinse pasta under cold water when done boiling to stop the cooking process. Drain well and add pasta to a very large bowl. Tips – Add a tablespoon or so of olive oil to the pasta cooking water while it's boiling to help prevent sticking. Also work ahead by making the dressing and chopping the veggies while the pasta boils.
- While the pasta is cooking, to a medium bowl, add all the mayo, 1/3 cup milk, ranch seasoning mix, garlic and onion powders, salt, pepper, and whisk to combine. Tips - Depending on how thick or thin you want the dressing will determine how much milk to add. See how it looks after 1/3 cup milk, and if it's too thick add a bit more milk, as necessary. You may substitute 1/2 cup thick Greek yogurt or sour cream for 1/2 cup of the mayo (so use 1/2 cup mayo + 1/2 cup Greek yogurt/sour cream) noting the dressing will be more tangy than if you exclusively use mayo. Set aside momentarily.
- To the pasta, add the bacon, tomatoes, shredded cheese, peas, bell pepper, red onions, olives, and stir to combine. Tip - I use fully cooked bacon, sold alongside regular bacon in your grocer's refrigerated case. Zap in the microwave for about 1 minute or as directed, then slice, dice, or crumble. Huge timesaver!
- Add the ranch dressing and stir well to combine and coat everything evenly. Taste and check for seasoning and flavor balance. Flavor Tips – If the pasta salad tastes at all boring or dull, it likely needs more salt, so don't be afraid to add it. The same goes for pepper, but salt is more critical. If you want it to have a tiny bit of a kick, add some dried red pepper flakes. A pinch of cayenne pepper will also kick things up.
- You can serve it immediately, but I prefer to chill it covered for at least 30-60 minutes, and serve it chilled.
- Storage and Make Ahead – Extra pasta salad will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Make sure to give it a good stir before serving the leftovers. This isn't a recipe I recommend freezing. If you want to make it in advance, making it up to 24 hours in advance of an event is my recommendation. Make sure it's well covered/sealed or in an airtight container in the fridge.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Serving
1serving
Calories
596kcal
(30%)
Carbohydrates
43g
(14%)
Protein
15g
(30%)
Fat
40g
(62%)
Saturated Fat
11g
(55%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
15g
Monounsaturated Fat
12g
Trans Fat
0.1g
Cholesterol
47mg
(16%)
Sodium
1247mg
(52%)
Potassium
363mg
(10%)
Fiber
4g
(16%)
Sugar
5g
(10%)
Vitamin A
1083IU
(22%)
Vitamin C
36mg
(40%)
Calcium
165mg
(17%)
Iron
1mg
(6%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 8servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 596 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1serving | |
| Calories | 596kcal | 30% |
| Carbohydrates | 43g | 14% |
| Protein | 15g | 30% |
| Fat | 40g | 62% |
| Saturated Fat | 11g | 55% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 15g | 88% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 12g | 60% |
| Trans Fat | 0.1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 47mg | 16% |
| Sodium | 1247mg | 52% |
| Potassium | 363mg | 8% |
| Fiber | 4g | 16% |
| Sugar | 5g | 10% |
| Vitamin A | 1083IU | 22% |
| Vitamin C | 36mg | 40% |
| Calcium | 165mg | 17% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0
9 reviews
Excellent
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