Ranch Bacon Pasta Salad is the perfect side dish to bring to any of your summer barbecues. This creamy pasta salad is filled with so many great flavors from the crispy bacon, ranch dressing mixture, and of course the cheese and vegetables, you cannot go wrong with this great recipe.
You can even make this a main dish if you want by adding in some shredded chicken for a simple and light lunch recipe.
Be sure to save this creamy bacon ranch pasta salad recipe because whoever you share it with will be asking for the recipe when you bring it to a potluck dinner.
Ingredients for Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
- Bacon: you will need cooked crumbled bacon
- Pasta: use Rotini pasta or other shortcut pasta you can find at the grocery store
- Cheese: use cubed sharp cheddar cheese or your favorite type of cheese
- Onion: I enjoy using sliced green onions for this side dish recipe
- Tomatoes: grab a container of cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes and slice them
- Peas: use frozen sweet peas or canned peas drained
- Spinach: fresh spinach, you can use either baby spinach or regular spinach
Ranch Dressing
- Seasonings: dried dill, dried chives, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper
- Cream: you will need to use mayonnaise and sour cream for the base
- Milk: use whole milk or what you have on hand
- Lemon juice: use fresh lemon juice for the best flavor
How to make Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
Cook the pasta according to the package directions to get al dente pasta. Drain, rinse with cold water, and let cool completely.
In a large bowl, whisk together all the ranch dressing ingredients.
Add the cooled tender pasta and the remaining ingredients to the large mixing bowl with the creamy ranch dressing.
Mix well, coating everything with the dressing. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. Enjoy!
How to store leftover bacon ranch pasta salad:
Fridge: Once everything is mixed together, pour it into a large airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days. After that, the pasta will begin to dry out slightly.
Tips and tricks for making delicious pasta salad:
More salad ingredient options:
- Green peppers
- Red pepper
- ​Ranch dressing mix with sour cream or Greek yogurt instead of using the seasonings
- Bacon bits — great if you don’t have time to make crisp bacon
- Boiled egg bits
Cheese options for pasta salad:
Cheddar cheese is my go-to option, but you can also use Colby jack cheese, pepper jack cheese, or a mixture of them all!
More salad recipes to make:
Ranch Bacon Pasta Salad
4-5
servings15
minutes1
hourCreamy ranch bacon pasta salad is the best side dish recipe to bring to all the summer bbqs you are invited to this year!
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Ingredients
- Pasta Salad
1 cup cooked crumbled bacon (about 6 slices)
12 oz Rotini pasta (or other short cut pasta)
1/2 cup cubed sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
1 cup sweet peas
2 cup fresh spinach
- Ranch Dressing
1 1/2 tsp dried dill
1 1/2 tsp dried chives
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sour cream
3 tbsp milk
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Directions
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and let cool completely.
- In a large bowl, whisk together all the ranch dressing ingredients.
- Add the cooled rotini and the remaining ingredients to the bowl with the dressing. Mix well, coating everything with the dressing. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. Enjoy!
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Very tasty, made using half the amount of pasta and full amount of stir-ins and dressing. Left out the spinach (concerned about it not holding up in leftovers) and plan to serve on top of spinach leaf for those who want. Makes a HUGE batch of salad – probably 8 or more servings even without those ingredients. I added some of the optional ingredients just before serving — half of a very large green pepper, diced and stirred in, and one hard boiled egg diced and spread on top. We had it as a side for hot sandwiches tonight, and I plan to add some shredded chicken to some of the leftover to make it the maindish for a future meal.