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Creamy Ranch Pasta Salad

ranch pasta salad.

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Creamy ranch pasta salad with crispy bacon, sweet green peas, and smoked cheddar cheese is a cool and creamy pasta salad recipe for summer.

Ingredients

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  • 10 ounces rotini
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon dried dill
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 10 slices bacon, sliced into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 1/2 cup frozen peas
  • 8 ounces smoked cheddar cheese, cubed
  • 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, cubed
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Instructions

  1. Boil the pasta following package instructions.
  2. While the pasta cooks, mix the mayo. yogurt, buttermilk, and all of the seasonings in a bowl. Stick the dressing in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble the salad.
  3. When the pasta is done, drain it and spread it on a baking sheet to cool. Place the frozen peas in a fine mesh strainer and run them under cold water so they thaw.
  4. Cook the bacon until it’s crispy, about ten minutes. Remove it from the pan and place it on a plate lined with paper towels. Once it’s cool enough to handle, roughly chop it.
  5. Place the pasta, peas, bacon, cheese, and parsley in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the top and stir to combine. Chill the salad until you are ready to serve it.

Notes

I like the spiral-shaped pasta, but feel free to use another short pasta like penne, bow ties, orecchiette, or cavatappi.

For the best creamy pasta salad, ensure the pasta is at room temperature before mixing it with the dressing. You can speed this up and chill the pasta on the sheet pan in the refrigerator so it’s cold when you mix it up with the dressing.

This salad is heavy on cheese, so for a less cheesy experience (but why, though?), you can halve the amount and use one kind (tip: pick the smoked cheddar).

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