Description
Creamy dill pickle bacon ranch pasta brings together tangy pickles, crispy bacon, and zesty ranch in one irresistible dish. Comfort meets excitement on your plate, promising a flavor adventure you won’t soon forget.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (454 g) bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 12 oz (340 g) rotini or elbow macaroni
- 1 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, cubed
- 2 cups dill pickles, diced
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup green onions, diced
- 1 packet dry ranch dressing mix
- 2 tbsps dill pickle juice
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Pasta Preparation: Immerse pasta in rapidly bubbling, salt-infused water, cooking until achieving an al dente consistency. Drain thoroughly and cool immediately under a cold water stream to prevent adhesion.
- Dressing Creation: Whisk together mayonnaise, ranch seasoning, pickle brine, garlic powder, and black pepper until developing a velvety, vibrant sauce with harmonious flavor profiles.
- Ingredient Integration: Combine cooled pasta with prepared dressing, gently folding in crisp bacon pieces, diced dill pickles, cheddar cheese cubes, and green onion slivers. Ensure complete coating of each ingredient with the zesty dressing for maximum flavor distribution.
- Flavor Melding: Refrigerate the pasta mixture in a sealed container for at least one hour, allowing the complex flavors to meld and intensify, creating a more robust taste experience.
- Serving Presentation: Prior to serving, delicately stir the chilled pasta salad to reincorporate the dressing. Serve cold to highlight the dish’s refreshing and tangy characteristics.
Notes
- Prevent Pasta Clumping: Rinse pasta immediately with cold water after draining to stop cooking and separate noodles, ensuring a perfect texture and preventing sticky, unappetizing clusters.
- Maximize Flavor Infusion: Refrigerate the pasta salad for at least an hour before serving, allowing the tangy ranch, pickle brine, and bacon to blend and intensify the overall taste profile.
- Balance Dressing Consistency: Whisk ranch seasoning, mayonnaise, and pickle brine thoroughly to create a smooth, even sauce that coats every pasta piece without becoming too runny or thick.
- Customize Dietary Needs: Swap regular mayo for Greek yogurt or vegan mayo to reduce calories, use gluten-free pasta for celiac diets, or opt for turkey bacon to create a lighter version of the dish.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 600
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 900 mg
- Fat: 45 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 30 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg