Addictive Crack Pasta Salad (Printable)

Creamy ranch-bacon pasta salad loaded with crunchy veggies and bold flavors, ready in 25 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz rotini or penne pasta

→ Dressing

02 - 3/4 cup mayonnaise
03 - 1/2 cup sour cream
04 - 1 packet (30 g) ranch seasoning mix
05 - 1 to 2 tbsp milk, as needed to loosen

→ Veggies and Add-ins

06 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
07 - 1 cup yellow or red bell pepper, diced
08 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
09 - 1/2 cup cooked bacon bits or vegetarian alternative
10 - 1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced
11 - 3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed

# How-To Steps:

01 - Boil rotini in generously salted water until al dente, then drain and rinse under cold running water to halt cooking. Spread on a sheet pan to cool completely.
02 - Whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, and ranch seasoning in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Stir in 1 tablespoon of milk, adding more only if a thinner consistency is desired.
03 - Add the cooled pasta to the dressing and toss thoroughly until every piece is evenly coated.
04 - Gently fold in the halved cherry tomatoes, diced bell pepper, shredded cheddar, bacon bits, sliced green onions, and thawed peas, taking care not to crush the tomatoes.
05 - Taste the salad and add salt, pepper, or an extra pinch of ranch seasoning as needed to balance the flavors.
06 - Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the dressing to permeate the pasta and the flavors to meld together.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The dressing clings to every single curl of pasta so no bite is bland
  • You can throw it together in under half an hour with ingredients you probably already have
  • It actually tastes better the next day which makes it the ultimate make ahead dish
02 -
  • Rinsing the pasta under cold water is not optional here because it stops the cooking immediately and washes off the sticky starch
  • If you skip the chilling step the dressing will taste flat and the vegetables will not have time to release their juices into the mix
03 -
  • Cook the pasta one minute less than the package directions because it continues softening in the dressing
  • Pat the thawed peas completely dry before adding them so they do not water down your dressing

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