Printable Recipe Card with a Full List of Ingredients and Instructions is Located at the Bottom of the Post. Combine pasta, bacon and other salad ingredients in a bowl and dress with half the Ranch. Your email address will not be published. If the pasta soaks up all of the Ranch before you serve it, this will certainly not be the case. Bacon plays an important role in this pasta salad…it is Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad after all. Together, this combo offers the perfect indulgent coating for chilled cooked pasta and some sliced cherry tomatoes. This is my dream salad. * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. The crisp cooked bacon really adds a nice flavor. It’s the best of both worlds. Set aside until ready to use. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel, and once cool enough to handle, chop into bits. However, in the case of Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad, you want a nice, creamy bite with every fork-full. Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Rinse lightly under cool running water until no longer steaming. It’s already starting to feel like Spring here and I’m itching for a nice picnic with a delicious pasta salad like this one! So make it the day before you plan to serve it for the best results. February 9, 2019 by Kelly Anthony 12 Comments. Bacon and ranch belong together—it’s indisputable. Your email address will not be published. In a large mixing bowl, combine the pasta and the ranch mixture that was made in step #1. If there is an ingredient you don’t particularly care for, feel free to omit it and customize the salad completely to your liking. If you’d like to get to know me a little better, click here. Use a spatula to incorporate all ingredients. Once the pasta is cooked, it is strained and placed under cool running water. https://www.thespruceeats.com/chicken-and-bacon-pasta-salad-recipe-3058861 If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption. By Wilemon. Together, this combo offers the perfect indulgent coating for chilled cooked pasta and some sliced cherry tomatoes. I often use what is on sale that week at the grocery store or already is in the pantry. This looks like a seriously delicious pasta salad! This macaroni salad is loaded with bacon and tossed with a sweet and spicy sauce. I love pasta salad so this recipe is a dream, I have made it once and everyone loved it! What a colorful meal and the ranch dressing sounds delish! Other pasta’s you could use for pasta salad include farfalle (bowtie pasta), macaroni, orecchiette, and even penne. Discard bacon grease and aluminum foil. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Cook according to package instructions and drain well. Can’t wait to make it again . ‘Tis the season to ditch your all-white palette in favor of something a little bolder and brighter. A bite of this pasta salad is savory and tangy with juicy pockets of tomato and chewy bits of bacon clinging to the creamy pasta. You can use any type of pasta you prefer or have on hand. I can’t wait to give this a try! https://www.hiddenvalley.com/recipe/bacon-ranch-pasta-salad Be sure to check out the recipe index where you can browse recipes by meal type and category! This looks so fresh and creamy! Rich and smoky bacon makes the perfect vehicle for a sauce that’s both tangy and packed with the flavors of fresh herbs. It’s our go-to pasta salad. Refrigerate until chilled, 2-3 hours. Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad Rating: Unrated 1074 This is a very flavorful pasta salad. Thanks so much for sharing , Your email address will not be published. Pasta salads are only as good as their dressings — lucky for us, this one is smothered in Ranch dressing, so all of your flavor bases are pretty much covered here. Sweet Chili Bacon Pasta Salad is as an easy side dish perfect for potluck parties. Adding half of the dressing to the pasta before it goes to the refrigerator will ensure some seriously flavorful noodles, and adding the remaining dressing at the end ensures a creamy bite. Amount is based on available nutrient data. The intricate shape of the noodles allows for dressing to seep inside of its crevices and keep it in place, making for a very flavorful bite. You had me at bacon. Penne, elbow and bowtie pasta are all great in this recipe. Dress with about half of the Ranch dressing and stir. If there is an ingredient you don’t particularly care for, feel free to omit it and customize the salad completely to your liking. The only non-negotiable is that you use high-quality bacon because it’s incomparable in flavor and texture and elevates this pasta salad into another realm of greatness! Garnish with additional dill before serving. The trendy haircuts you’ll be seeing everywhere next year. It’s helpful if you aren’t real familiar with chopping up fresh broccoli. But, aside from that, you can be as choosy as you’d like with the remaining ingredients. Rich and smoky bacon makes the perfect vehicle for a sauce that’s both tangy and packed with the flavors of fresh herbs. Smothered in a creamy Ranch dressing. Bacon ranch pasta salad recipe is so versatile and budget friendly! this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use. Making a great Ranch dressing from scratch for your pasta salad is a very simple to-do. Note: A quick word about how this broccoli should be chopped up. It features pasta salad coated in a quick and easy Ranch dressing (homemade or store-bought), crispy bacon, and more! Broccoli Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad – this delicious salad is loaded with veggies (broccoli, cherry tomatoes, sweet peas), sharp Cheddar cheese, pasta shells, and bacon! Bacon plays an important role in this pasta salad…it is Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad after all. Comfort food is my specialty, and it is truly my pleasure to share these recipes with you. Comfort food recipes with real ingredients made easy! Chop broccoli, onion and bacon. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. I get requests for this pasta salad for every get together and cook out. Preheat oven to 400°F. Southern Living is a registered trademark of, These Haircuts Are Going To Be Huge in 2021, 140 Thanksgiving Side Dishes That’ll Steal the Show, 7 Paint Colors We’re Loving for Kitchen Cabinets in 2020, 50 Books Everyone Should Read in Their Lifetime. Be sure to read through the entire post so that you don’t miss out on any important tips and tricks! Line a baking sheet with several layers of aluminum foil. Now this is the kind of recipe everyone will love! Disclosure | Privacy Policy. Required fields are marked *. Filed Under: Barbecue Side Dish Recipes, Comfort Food Recipes, Entertaining at Home, Food for Kids, Game Day Food, Pasta Recipes, Pork Recipes, Potluck Recipes, Potluck Side Dish Recipes, Quick Fix Recipes, Salad Recipes, Side Dishes, Side Salads, Sides for a Crowd, Southern Recipes, Southern Side Dishes, Texas Food. It’s important to heavily salt the boiling water before you cook the pasta, as this seasons the pasta while it cooks. This is one of the many reasons it’s so great leftover! Garden variety rotini is often used for pasta salads and will add an additional burst of color to your dish. Use the time it takes for your water to boil and for the pasta to cook to prepare your add-ins: Chop the broccoli, halve the tomatoes, drain the olives, and grate the Cheddar. Chop bacon; set aside. Easy homemade ranch dressing for pasta salad! Information is not currently available for this nutrient. Stir in remaining dressing just before serving. Powered by the ESHA Research Database © 2018, ESHA Research, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Bacon and ranch belong together—it’s indisputable. Place bacon on baking sheet and transfer to oven until bacon is brown and crisp, 25 minutes. When it comes to the Ranch dressing, you have a few options: You can make it from scratch (don’t worry — it’s very simple), use a Ranch packet, or grab yourself a bottle of quality Ranch dressing from the grocery store. This recipe calls for rotini pasta. We throw shredded Parmesan into the mix to add a layer of salty goodness, and fresh dill is stirred in to further brighten the pasta salad and enhance the herby taste of the ranch seasoning. This will help to cool it down faster (which will help keep the cheese from melting when added) and rinse away some of the starches so the pasta doesn’t get too sticky. Learn how to season this Southern kitchen staple in five easy steps. While the thick-cut bacon is getting crispy on the stovetop, have that salted pasta water already coming to a boil. You can use whatever noodle shape you’d like, but for sentimental reasons, we stick to traditional cavatappi or elbow pasta because it reminds us of the pasta salads made by our grandmothers.