Addictive Crack Pasta Salad (Printable Version)

A vibrant, creamy pasta salad with bold ranch-bacon-cheese flavor, crunchy veggies, and ready in 25 minutes.

# What You 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 & 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:

01 - Boil pasta in generously salted water until al dente, following package directions. Drain in a colander and rinse immediately under cold running water to halt cooking. Spread on a sheet pan or transfer to a large bowl to cool completely.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, and ranch seasoning packet until smooth and well combined. Stir in 1 tablespoon of milk, adding a second if needed, to reach a pourable but still creamy consistency.
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, being careful not to crush the tomatoes.
05 - Taste the salad and adjust salt, pepper, or an extra splash of milk as needed. Mix until all ingredients are evenly distributed throughout.
06 - Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the dressing to fully absorb into the pasta. Serve cold.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than deciding what to watch on TV tonight
  • The dressing clings to every single curl of pasta so no bite is boring
  • People will ask you for the recipe and act shocked when you say ranch seasoning
02 -
  • Rinsing the pasta under cold water is not optional because the residual heat will melt the cheese and turn the dressing oily
  • This salad tastes noticeably better on day two so making it ahead is actually a strategy not a shortcut
03 -
  • Thaw the frozen peas by spreading them on a clean towel rather than running warm water over them which makes them waterlogged
  • Crisp your own bacon and crumble it instead of using store bought bits because the texture difference is obvious

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