Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

A bowl of salad ready to serve with a spoon dishing up some.

This Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad is full of that classic ranch + bacon flavors that everyone loves! Spiral rotini pasta holds the ultra creamy & rich dressing made with mayo, heavy cream, and ranch dressing mix. Lots of add-ins like peas, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, and chunks of cheese that almost make it feel like a complete meal!

Course Lunch, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword bacon ranch pasta salad, pasta salad recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 8

Optional Chill Time 1

Total Time 1 23

Servings

Calories 517kcal

Author Jessica - Together as Family

Equipment

Ingredients

Creamy Dressing

1 cup mayonnaise
1 packet ranch seasoning mix
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sour cream
½ teaspoon garlic powder

Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

1 box (12 oz) rotini pasta
8-10 strips bacon ^{cooked & crumbled}
1½ cups frozen peas ^thawed
1 can (4 oz) sliced black olives ^drained
1 cup thinly sliced cucumber ^{(peeled or unpeeled)}
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup cubed Monterey Jack cheese

Instructions

In a small mixing bowl add all the creamy dressing ingredients and stir with a wire whisk to combine well.
Set aside or store it in the fridge while you prepare the rest. I prefer to cover the bowl and let it refrigerate so that way the dressing stays chilled.
Cook the rotini pasta according to package directions.
Drain the pasta, rinse under cold water, and make sure it is drained well before proceeding.
^{* Don't forget to add some salt to the boiling water for flavor. I use a heaping teaspoon of kosher salt.}
Add the drained and cooked pasta to a serving bowl and pour the creamy dressing over it. Stir to combine.
Add in the cooked bacon, thawed peas, olives, cucumber slices, halved cherry tomatoes, and cheese cubes. Stir to mix everything together.
Serve right away or cover the bowl with plastic wrap (or a lid) and allow it to refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving.
^{* I don't recommend making this salad too far in a advance as the past salad tends to dry out and soak up all the creamy dressing the longer it's in the fridge.}

Notes

Recipe Tips -

Salt Pasta Water : Make sure you add some salt to the boiling water before adding the dry noodles. The salt helps the noodles taste like something and it really does make a difference. I add about a heaping 1 teaspoon of kosher salt.
Milk : For a less rich dressing use half and half milk instead. If using a milk lower in fat than heavy cream, you might need to reduce the amount used.
English Cucumber : These cucumbers have less water and seeds in them compared to regular cucumbers. I prefer using an English cucumber in pasta salads. English cucumbers are longer and not as thick as regular cucumbers.
Small Chopped Add-Ins : Aim to have all the add-ins cut about the same size. The cheese cubes need to be small so they match the other ingredients. Half the cherry tomatoes and cut the cucumbers into quarters (from a slice of cucumber).
Black Olives : Sliced or chopped olives can be used.
Cheese : Use any variety of cheese that you want. Other great options are Cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, Muenster Cheese, or White Cheddar cheese.
Lighten It Up! : Substitute half the mayo for plain Greek yogurt. I only recommend subbing half of the mayo only because Greek yogurt is thicker and has a much different flavor compared to mayo. You can also try using a lower fat milk like half and half or whole milk. Use a lite mayo, olive oil based mayo, or avocado oil mayo.
Storage : Store leftovers in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to 2-3 days. Leftovers will get thicker as the pasta soaks up all the dressing. Give it a good stir and add a splash of milk as necessary to moisten everything back up again.
Ahead of Time : This pasta salad is best served the day it's made. I like to refrigerate the salad before serving, for up to 2-3 hours, so it's chilled but you can also serve it right away.

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