Addictive Crack Pasta Salad (Printable Version)
Creamy ranch-bacon pasta salad with crunchy veggies and bold flavors, ready in 25 minutes.
# What You Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 12 oz rotini or penne pasta
→ Dressing
02 - 3/4 cup mayonnaise
03 - 1/2 cup sour cream
04 - 1 packet (30 g) ranch seasoning mix
05 - 1–2 tbsp milk, as needed for consistency
→ Veggies & 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
# How-To:
01 - Boil rotini or penne in salted water until al dente. Drain, rinse under cold running water, and spread out to cool completely.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, and ranch seasoning mix. Stir in 1 tablespoon of milk and add more 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 the halved cherry tomatoes, diced bell pepper, shredded cheddar, bacon bits, sliced green onions, and thawed peas.
05 - Taste the salad and adjust salt, pepper, or ranch seasoning as needed until the flavor balance is right.
06 - Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together before serving.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The dressing clings to every single curl of the pasta so no bite is bland
- It tastes even better the next day which makes it the ultimate make ahead side
02 -
- Serving this right after mixing tastes fine but chilling it transforms it into something people cannot stop eating
- Rinsing the pasta with cold water is not optional because residual heat will melt the cheese and thin the dressing
03 -
- Slightly undercook the pasta by about one minute since it will soften further as it sits in the dressing
- Toast the bacon bits in a dry skillet for thirty seconds before adding them to wake up their smokiness