Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

This bacon ranch pasta salad is made with tender pasta, veggies, cheddar and smoky bacon coated in a creamy ranch dressing. It will be an instant hit at your next barbeque!

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Creamy Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

This bacon ranch pasta salad is quick, easy and one of my favorite recipes to bring to a BBQ. It’s creamy dressing reminds me of an easy macaroni salad recipe but with bacon like BLT pasta salad!

More pasta salads we love for picnics and summer barbecues include this easy pasta salad with Italian dressing, orzo salad and Caprese pasta salad.

Why I Love This Recipe

• Quick and easy potluck favorite: Ready in only 15 minutes, this is easily one of the best pasta salad recipes to make ahead anytime you are serving a crowd!
• So much texture and flavor: Bacon ranch dressing pasta salad is creamy with crunchy texture from veggies and bacon. We love it so much, we made a warm version of chicken bacon ranch pasta, too!

Ranch Pasta Salad Ingredients

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

• Pasta: I used pasta shells but any short pasta works like elbow macaroni, small bowtie pasta, mini penne or rotini pasta.
• Bacon: Prepare bacon in the oven ahead of time to make prep faster!
• Ranch: A dry ranch seasoning mix adds the best flavor not prepared store-bought ranch dressing.
• Cheese: Cubed cheddar cheese adds the best texture! Use your favorite sharp cheddar cheese or mild cheddar cheese. Colby-jack cheese also is great!

How to Make Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

Add cooked pasta, crumbled bacon, cubed cheddar cheese, peas, cherry tomatoes, and red onion to a large serving bowl.

 In a small bowl, combine ranch pasta salad dressing ingredients including sour cream, mayo, ranch packet and salt and black pepper. Stir until creamy.

Add dressing to the large bowl of prepared pasta bacon ranch salad and toss gently. Garnish with chives then serve immediately or for best taste chill for at least one hour to let the flavors develop.

Recipe Tips and Substitutions

• Cook pasta al dente to avoid a soggy salad. Remember to salt the pasta water to add more flavor to the pasta and to drain and rinse pasta in cold water.
• Try a different protein such as leftover baked honey ham. Bacon bits are a nice time-saver but freshly cooked and crumbled bacon will taste best.
• Swap the cheddar for Swiss cheese, pepper jack cheese or Monterey jack.
• Add more veggies like diced red bell pepper!
• Swap the sour cream for Greek yogurt but don’t omit the mayonnaise as it adds the creaminess to this ranch and bacon pasta salad.