Addictive Crack Pasta Salad (Printable)

Creamy ranch-bacon pasta salad with crunchy veggies and bold flavors, ready in 25 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz rotini or penne pasta

→ Dressing

02 - 3/4 cup mayonnaise
03 - 1/2 cup sour cream
04 - 1 packet (1 oz) ranch seasoning mix
05 - 1 to 2 tbsp milk, as needed

→ Vegetables & Add-ins

06 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
07 - 1 cup yellow or red bell pepper, diced
08 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
09 - 1/2 cup cooked bacon bits
10 - 1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced
11 - 3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed

# How-To Steps:

01 - Boil pasta in heavily salted water until al dente, following package directions. Drain in a colander, rinse thoroughly under cold running water, and spread out to cool completely.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, ranch seasoning packet, and 1 tablespoon of milk. Add remaining milk as needed to reach a pourable consistency.
03 - Add the cooled pasta to the dressing bowl and toss until every piece is evenly coated.
04 - Gently fold in the halved cherry tomatoes, diced bell pepper, shredded cheddar, bacon bits, sliced green onions, and thawed peas until uniformly distributed.
05 - Taste the salad and adjust salt, pepper, or additional ranch seasoning as needed.
06 - Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The ranch-bacon-cheese combo hits that same pleasure center as junk food but feels acceptable at a cookout
  • It comes together in 25 minutes flat and tastes even better the next day
02 -
  • Serving this warm is a completely different experience and not in a good way so respect the chill time
  • Rinsing the pasta is not optional here because the starchy coating will make the dressing turn gummy and thick
03 -
  • Toast the bacon bits in a dry pan for a minute before adding them to bring back that just cooked crunch
  • Let the dressed pasta chill alone for 15 minutes before folding in the veggies so the noodles absorb flavor without getting mushy

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