Ranch Pasta Salad with Bacon

Ranch Pasta Salad with Bacon

Ranch Pasta Salad With Bacon is a rich and creamy side dish that pairs super well with all your summertime favorites. Prep this 30-minute, one-bowl salad and bring it to your summer picnic, potluck, or neighborhood barbeque. You can even serve this creamy pasta salad as a main dish.

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

chill time 30

Total Time 1

Servings servings

Calories 659kcal

Author Jere' Cassidy

Equipment

Ingredients

12 ounces Dry rotini pasta cooked and cooled to room temperature
⅔ cup Mayonnaise
⅔ cup Sour cream
⅓ cup Milk
1 ounce Packet of dry ranch dip such as Hidden Valley Ranch
6 slices Bacon
9 ounces Frozen green peas
1 cup Cheddar cheese
1 cup Grape tomatoes sliced

Instructions

Fry the bacon first. Stack the bacon and cut it into small slices and then fry in a medium-sized skillet until crispy. Drain the bacon on a paper towel.
In a medium-sized saucepan cook the rotini according to the package directions. When done drain the pasta and let it cool to room temperature.
Set the cheese on a cutting board and cut it into small cubes with a chef's knife. Set aside.
On the same cutting board, cut the grape tomatoes in half.
In a small mixing bowl, add the mayonnaise, sour cream, the dry ranch mix, and milk. Stir or whisk until you have a creamy dressing.
In a large mixing bowl add the cooled pasta, cubed cheese, sliced tomatoes, thawed peas, and cooked bacon. Toss this mixture to combine.
Pour the ranch dressing over the pasta and toss to combine.
Cover the bowl and chill for at least 30 minutes. For the best flavor serve the pasta cold. Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Notes

This tip is very important - Don’t let your pasta salad sit out at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Bacteria can multiply rapidly at room temperature and can cause foodborne illness.

This salad is easy to vary with other ingredients try adding:

Red onion
Different types of cheeses
Olives
Other types of pasta or elbow macaroni
Herbs and spices

Nutrition