Creamy Ranch Pasta Salad (Printable View)

Refreshing creamy pasta salad with ranch dressing, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bell peppers, and fresh herbs. Ideal for gatherings.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz short pasta (rotini, penne, or fusilli)

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
04 - 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
05 - 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
06 - 1 cup frozen peas, thawed

→ Ranch Dressing

07 - 3/4 cup mayonnaise
08 - 1/4 cup sour cream
09 - 3 tbsp buttermilk (or milk)
10 - 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped (or 1 tsp dried dill)
11 - 2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
12 - 1 tsp garlic powder
13 - 1 tsp onion powder
14 - 1/2 tsp dried parsley
15 - 1/2 tsp salt
16 - 1/4 tsp black pepper

→ Optional Add-ins

17 - 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
18 - 1/2 cup cooked and crumbled bacon

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking and cool for the salad.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, dill, chives, garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley, salt, and pepper until smooth and well combined.
03 - Add the cooked and cooled pasta, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, and peas to the bowl with the dressing. Toss gently to coat everything evenly.
04 - Stir in the optional cheddar cheese and crumbled bacon if using. Mix until evenly distributed throughout the salad.
05 - Refrigerate the pasta salad for at least 1 hour to allow flavors to meld. Toss again just before serving and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The homemade ranch dressing puts those bottled versions to absolute shame and comes together in minutes
  • It actually tastes better after sitting in the fridge so you can make it hours before your guests arrive
  • Easily customizable based on whatever vegetables are languishing in your crisper drawer
02 -
  • Rinse your pasta thoroughly under cold water or it will continue cooking and turn mushy while it cools
  • The salad needs that chilling time in the refrigerator or the flavors won't properly develop
  • Dress the pasta while it's still slightly warm so it absorbs more of that ranch flavor
03 -
  • Cut all your vegetables slightly smaller than you think you need to get the perfect forkful ratio
  • The pasta salad will seem slightly over dressed at first but the pasta absorbs a lot as it chills

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