Description
A creamy, flavorful pasta salad loaded with crispy bacon, cheddar cheese, fresh vegetables, and a tangy homemade ranch dressing. Perfect for potlucks, picnics, or a quick and easy side dish.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound pasta (rotini, penne, or your favorite shape)
- 1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 packet (1 ounce) ranch dressing mix
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup chopped red onion
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
- Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions (8-10 minutes), or until al dente.
- Drain the pasta immediately in a colander.
- Rinse the cooked pasta under cold running water to stop the cooking process and cool it down quickly.
- Drain the pasta thoroughly.
- Transfer the cooled and drained pasta to a large mixing bowl.
- Cook the bacon using your preferred method (oven, skillet, or microwave).
- Remove bacon from heat and place on a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess grease.
- Let the bacon cool slightly, then crumble it into small pieces.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, ranch dressing mix, and buttermilk.
- Whisk until smooth and creamy.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
- If the dressing is too thick, add more buttermilk. If it’s too thin, add more mayonnaise or sour cream.
- Cover and refrigerate the dressing for at least 30 minutes.
- Add the crumbled bacon, chopped red onion, halved cherry tomatoes, shredded cheddar cheese, and chopped fresh parsley to the bowl with the cooked pasta.
- Pour the ranch dressing over the pasta and other ingredients.
- Gently toss everything together until evenly coated.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Cover and refrigerate the pasta salad for at least 1 hour before serving.
- Before serving, give the pasta salad another gentle toss to redistribute the dressing.
- Garnish with extra crumbled bacon, chopped red onion, cherry tomato halves, shredded cheddar cheese, or chopped fresh parsley, if desired.
Notes
- Pasta Options: Experiment with different pasta shapes like farfalle, fusilli, or small shells.
- Bacon Alternatives: Use turkey bacon or bacon bits.
- Cheese Variations: Try Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, or crumbled blue cheese.
- Vegetable Additions: Add chopped bell peppers, cucumbers, celery, or broccoli florets.
- Spice it Up: Add red pepper flakes to the dressing or use a spicy ranch dressing mix.
- Make it Ahead: Prepare up to 24 hours in advance.
- Serving Suggestions: Perfect for picnics, potlucks, barbecues, or as a side dish.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Buttermilk Substitute: Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to 1 cup of milk and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Ranch Dressing Mix Substitute: Make your own using dried buttermilk, dried parsley, dried dill, dried chives, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes