This cheddar bacon ranch pasta salad is a delicious cold salad recipe that the whole family will enjoy. Made with bacon, tomatoes, ranch dressing, and crisp cucumbers this salad is truly a blend of refreshing flavors and textures in every bite.
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This versatile recipe is perfect for summer barbecues and gatherings. It brings together a harmonious blend of flavors and textures and pairs wonderfully with my Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Breasts and Oven Baked Brats.
But what truly sets this bacon cheddar pasta salad apart is its ease of preparation. With just a handful of ingredients and easy steps, it delivers an experience that's both gratifying and a reminder of the simple pleasures of life.
Whether you're hosting a family reunion, organizing a picnic, or seeking a hassle-free weeknight dinner, this recipe is perfect for enjoying during the sunny months of summer.
For more summer salad ideas, check out our Orange Creamsicle Fluff, Dill Pickle Potato Salad, Red Potato Salad, and Easy Dorito Taco Salad.
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💛 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- You can make it in advance. This simple bacon ranch pasta salad is one you can prepare in advance and have ready for dinner when you are.
- You can make a large batch at once! Double the batch and make enough to share at your summer BBQs or do as I did and serve it up for a simple family meal side dish.
- The steps are easy to follow. From boiling pasta to mixing everything together, this recipe is great for experienced cooks and those trying their hands at something new.
🛒 Ingredients
Cherry Tomatoes- Adding cherry tomatoes will give us a nice change of flavor thanks to the acidity. The color will also look lovely.
Cucumber- For a refreshing crunch you'll want to use cucumbers that have been peeled.
Bacon Strips- Adding bacon to this salad will give us a chewy crunch and add a saltiness that helps to elevate the other flavors well.
Ranch Salad Dressing- Use your favorite ranch salad dressing for this recipe. You can use Hidden Valley, a store brand, or a low calorie yogurt-based dressing option.
See the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
🔀 Substitutions & Variations
Mayo. Instead of using Mayo for this salad, you can replace it with sour cream or plain Greek yogurt.
Ranch Dressing. You can use one packet of ranch seasoning mix instead of the dressing. This may actually give you a stronger Ranch flavor.
Rotini Noodles. You can use any noodles including elbow noodles for this recipe but I had rotini on hand and chose to use it.
💰 Budget-Friendly Tips
Stretch the veggies. Add inexpensive vegetables like extra cucumbers, peas, or shredded carrots to bulk up the salad without increasing the cost much.
Buy bacon in bulk. Cook a full package at once, crumble it, and freeze the leftovers to use in salads, casseroles, and eggs.
Use whatever pasta you have. Rotini, elbows, penne, or shells all work, no need to buy something special.
🥄 Instructions for Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
Step 1: Boil pasta in a large pot of water according to package directions.
Step 2: When pasta is almost finished, add the frozen peas to the pot of hot water and let cook for 1-2 minutes until thawed and warmed.
Step 3: Drain into a colander and rinse under cold running water until the pasta is cold and no longer heated.
Step 4: In a small bowl whisk together the ranch and mayo until well mixed.
Step 5: Add everything to a large mixing bowl and toss well to combine.
Step 6: Serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap and chill until serving time.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- Adjusting ranch taste. If you want a stronger ranch taste you can add in a little bit of dry ranch dressing mix. Add to taste.
- You can add more bacon. If you really want a lot of bacon in this salad you can add as much as you want, until your heart is content.
❄️ Storage and Make Ahead
Storage: Keep your Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. If it thickens or dries out, stir in a spoonful of ranch or mayo to refresh the texture.
Make Ahead: This salad is perfect for prep-ahead. Assemble the entire dish up to a day in advance, or prep components separately (cooked pasta, chopped veggies, cooked bacon) and mix right before serving.
🥗 Side Dishes or Pairing Ideas
Serve this pasta salad alongside grilled chicken, burgers, hot dogs, baked brats, or BBQ favorites. It also pairs well with simple sides like garlic bread, corn on the cob, watermelon slices, or a green tossed salad for a well-rounded summer meal.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
You can keep this pasta well covered and stored in your fridge for up to 4 days. This should give you plenty of time to enjoy it throughout the week. If you notice your pasta becoming dry you can stir in a little more ranch dressing or mayo to get it creamy again.
You do not have to peel it, but I chose to do so because I didn't want the texture of the skin.
When serving this pasta salad I cannot recommend keeping it out of a chilled environment or fridge for more than 2 hours at a time because this will cause food safety issues to arise.
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🐝 If you tried this Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your buzz in the 💬 comments below. I'd truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 box (12 ounces) rotini noodles - ($0.98)
- 1 cup frozen peas - ($0.48)
- ½ cup ranch dressing - ($0.41)
- ¼ cup mayonnaise or sour cream - ($0.22)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved - ($1.42)
- 1 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced - ($0.82)
- 4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded - ($1.00)
- 5 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled - ($0.50)
- 1 can (2.25 ounces) sliced black olives, optional - ($1.84)
Instructions
- Cook pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the rotini according to package directions.
- Add peas. During the last 1 to 2 minutes of cooking, add the frozen peas to the pot to thaw and heat through.
- Cool. Drain the pasta and peas in a colander, then rinse under cold water until fully cooled. Drain well.
- Mix dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the ranch dressing and mayonnaise until smooth.
- Assemble salad. Add the cooled pasta and peas, dressing, tomatoes, cucumber, cheddar cheese, bacon, and olives, if using, to a large mixing bowl. Toss until evenly coated.
- Chill or serve. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- Pea options. Peas can be reduced or omitted entirely if desired.
- Make ahead. Pasta salad can be refrigerated for up to 4 days. Stir in a little extra ranch or mayo if it dries out.
- Food safety. Do not leave pasta salad at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
Nutritional Information
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Melody says
I have made this type of salad numerous times during the summer. When I came across yours only thing I changed with mine was to add the cucumbers and peas. I like to switch up depending on the occasion and if I don't have certain items. There's so many ways you can make this and it's delicious. I've even sliced up zucchini squash and added it.
Nicole says
that sounds delicious, thanks for sharing! 🙂