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Ranch Pasta Salad

Ranch pasta salad with creamy ranch-coated rotini, bacon, cheddar, and crisp vegetables. Chilled for at least 2 hours so every bite tastes evenly dressed and stays firm.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Rotini pasta
  • 1 lb rotini pasta
Ranch dressing
  • 1 cup ranch dressing
Mayonnaise
  • 0.5 cup mayonnaise
Milk
  • 0.25 cup milk
Cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Bacon
  • 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
Cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
Broccoli florets
  • 1 cup broccoli florets, blanched
Red onion
  • 0.5 cup red onion, diced
Salt and pepper
  • 1 Salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Cook and prep
  1. Cook rotini pasta according to package directions in a Dutch oven, then drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking.
  2. Blanch broccoli florets until bright green, then rinse and drain so they stay crisp in the salad.
  3. Cook bacon until crisp on a sheet pan, then crumble into small pieces.
Make the ranch dressing
  1. Whisk ranch dressing, mayonnaise, and milk until smooth and fully combined.
Assemble and chill
  1. Combine pasta, cheddar cheese, bacon, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, and red onion in a large bowl.
  2. Pour dressing over the salad and toss until the pasta is evenly coated.
  3. Season with salt and pepper, then toss again to distribute the seasoning.
  4. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving so the ranch coats and firms up.

Notes

For best texture, rinse the pasta well and drain thoroughly so the ranch doesn’t get watery. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freezing is not recommended. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat mayonnaise while keeping the same amount of ranch dressing for a similar creamy finish.