Addictive Crack Pasta Salad (Printable)
Creamy ranch-bacon pasta salad with crunchy veggies and cheddar, 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 to loosen
→ 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 or vegetarian alternative
10 - 1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced
11 - 3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
# Steps:
01 - Boil pasta in generously salted water until al dente. Drain in a colander, rinse under cold running water to halt cooking, and set aside 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 and toss thoroughly until every piece is evenly coated.
04 - Gently fold in cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, shredded cheddar, bacon bits, green onions, and thawed peas. Mix until uniformly distributed without crushing the tomatoes.
05 - Taste the salad and adjust salt, pepper, or additional ranch seasoning as needed.
06 - Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Serve chilled.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It comes together in 25 minutes with zero cooking beyond boiling pasta
- The dressing is thick and clingy so every single noodle gets coated
- It actually tastes better the next day which makes it the ultimate make ahead side
02 -
- Serving this warm is the fastest way to make people think they do not like it
- The dressing thickens in the fridge so plan to stir in another splash of milk before serving leftovers
03 -
- Rinse the pasta until it feels cold to the touch not just cool
- Toss the cheese in a little flour before adding if you want it to resist clumping in the fridge