Description
This Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad is a crowd-pleasing side dish perfect for potlucks, picnics, and barbecues. Tri-color rotini pasta is tossed with crispy bacon, tomatoes, black olives, cheddar cheese, and a creamy, tangy ranch dressing.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 (12-ounce) package tri-color rotini pasta (or regular rotini)
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 (1-ounce) packet dry ranch dressing/seasoning mix
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup milk (whole, 2%, or skim)
- 8 slices bacon, cooked until crispy and chopped
- 1 large tomato, diced
- 1 (4.25-ounce) can sliced black olives, drained
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rotini pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente (firm to the bite).
- Drain and Rinse: Drain the cooked pasta well. Rinse thoroughly with cold water to cool it down and stop the cooking process. Set aside.
- Prepare Bacon: While the pasta is cooking, cook the bacon until crispy using your preferred method (skillet, oven, or microwave). Once cooked, drain on paper towels and chop or crumble it.
- Make Dressing: In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, dry ranch dressing mix, garlic powder, and milk until smooth and well combined.
- Combine Salad Ingredients: Add the cooled and drained pasta, chopped cooked bacon, diced tomato, drained sliced black olives, and shredded cheddar cheese to the bowl with the dressing.
- Toss to Coat: Gently toss all the ingredients together until they are evenly coated with the dressing.
- Chill: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. This allows the flavors to meld and the pasta to absorb some of the dressing.
- Serve
Notes
- Pasta: Tri-color rotini is used in this recipe for its visual appeal, but you can use regular rotini or other short pasta shapes, such as fusilli, penne, or elbow macaroni. Cook the pasta al dente so it doesn’t become mushy in the salad.
- Bacon: Cook the bacon until crispy for the best texture.
- Tomatoes: You can use any type of tomato you like, such as Roma, grape, or cherry tomatoes.
- Black Olives: Make sure to drain the black olives before adding them to the salad.
- Cheese: Cheddar cheese is traditional, but you can use other cheeses, such as Monterey Jack, Colby, or a blend.
- Make-Ahead: This pasta salad is best made ahead of time to allow the flavors to develop.
- Serving Suggestions: This salad is a great side dish for potlucks, picnics, barbecues, or any gathering.
- Storage: store for 3-4 days.