Description
Creamy bacon ranch pasta salad delivers summer’s most irresistible comfort in one delightful dish. Crisp bacon, tender pasta, and zesty ranch dressing combine for a crowd-pleasing meal you’ll crave at every gathering.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 12 ounces (340 g) rotini or bowtie pasta
- 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1 cup (120 g) shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup (150 g) cherry tomatoes, halved
Vegetables:
- 1 cup (120 g) diced cucumber
- ½ cup (75 g) diced red onion
- ½ cup (75 g) chopped green onions or parsley (optional)
Dressing and Seasonings:
- 1 cup (240 ml) ranch dressing (store-bought or homemade)
- ½ cup (120 ml) sour cream
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional, for freshness)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Boil a generously salted water pot and submerge pasta, cooking until perfectly tender with a slight bite. Immediately drain and rinse under frigid water to halt cooking process and rapidly cool the noodles.
- Craft a creamy ranch dressing by whisking together tangy ranch, velvety sour cream, zesty lemon juice, and a delicate balance of salt and pepper. Taste and fine-tune seasonings to achieve a harmonious flavor profile.
- Select a spacious mixing vessel and artfully combine the chilled pasta with vibrant cherry tomatoes, sharp cheddar cheese cubes, crisp cucumber chunks, piquant red onion slivers, and crispy crumbled bacon.
- Drizzle the prepared ranch dressing over the pasta medley, gently folding and tossing to ensure each ingredient is luxuriously coated with the creamy mixture.
- Seal the salad and transfer to the refrigerator, allowing the ingredients to mingle and develop deeper flavors for a minimum of half an hour. Prior to serving, optionally garnish with freshly chopped green onions or verdant parsley for a burst of color and freshness.
Notes
- Pasta Perfection: Choose short pasta shapes like rotini or shell pasta that hold dressing well and create delightful texture pockets.
- Bacon Brilliance: Crisp bacon beforehand and let it cool completely to maintain crunchiness and prevent soggy texture in the salad.
- Veggie Variation: For extra crunch, consider adding diced bell peppers or replacing cucumber with celery for different flavor profiles.
- Dietary Adaptation: Create a lighter version by using Greek yogurt instead of sour cream and low-fat ranch dressing for reduced calories.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Snacks, Appetizer
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 540
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 34 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 46 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg