Addictive Crack Pasta Salad (Printer-friendly)
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 for desired consistency
→ Vegetables and 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
# Directions:
01 - Boil pasta in generously 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, and ranch seasoning mix until smooth. Stir in 1 tablespoon of milk to reach a pourable consistency, adding more as needed.
03 - Add the cooled pasta to the dressing and toss thoroughly 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, taking care not to crush the tomatoes.
05 - Mix until all components are uniformly distributed. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
06 - Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Serve cold for the best taste and texture.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It comes together in about 25 minutes with zero cooking beyond boiling pasta
- The ranch bacon cheddar combo makes it taste like something you would order at a diner but better
02 -
- Rinsing the pasta under cold water is not optional because residual heat will melt your cheddar and turn the whole salad greasy
- This tastes noticeably better after an hour in the fridge so never serve it warm straight from mixing
03 -
- Dice your bell pepper and halve your tomatoes to roughly the same size as the pasta spirals so every forkful has a balanced mix
- Pat the bacon bits dry on a paper towel before adding them so they do not bleed grease into the dressing