Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

This bacon ranch pasta salad uses a dry ranch seasoning packet instead of bottled dressing for maximum flavor, tossed with tender shell pasta, crispy bacon, cubed cheddar and fresh veggies. Ready in 25 minutes and the ultimate potluck side dish.

Ingredient Notes

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Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

• Pasta: Shell pasta is the best choice here because the creamy ranch dressing gets trapped inside each shell. Elbow macaroni, rotini, small bowtie pasta, and mini penne all work too. Whatever you use, cook it al dente so the salad doesn’t end up soft and mushy.
• Bacon: Freshly cooked and crumbled bacon makes a noticeable difference over bacon bits. I like to bake it in the oven ahead of time to make prep faster. Ten slices sounds like a lot and it is exactly the right amount.
• Ranch seasoning: A dry seasoning packet, not bottled ranch dressing. It keeps the dressing thick and prevents the salad from getting watery as it sits.
• Cheese: Cube the cheddar rather than shredding it. Shredded cheese tends to clump and disappear into the dressing. Cubed cheese keeps its shape and gives the salad a better texture. Sharp cheddar, mild cheddar, Colby-jack, or Monterey jack all work great.
• Sour cream with mayo: This is the base of the dressing and what makes it so creamy. You can swap it for plain Greek yogurt but don’t skip the mayo entirely, it adds richness that holds everything together.
• Frozen peas: No need to cook them. Just thaw and add. They add color, a little sweetness, and a pop of freshness that balances the richness of the dressing.

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

• Salt the pasta water generously. Pasta absorbs flavor while it cooks, and under-seasoned pasta will taste flat no matter how good your dressing is.
• Rinse the pasta in cold water after draining. This stops the cooking immediately and brings the pasta down to room temperature before you add the dressing. It also helps the shells not stick together.
• Let it chill before serving. The flavor genuinely peaks after sitting in the refrigerator for at least 1 to 2 hours. The pasta absorbs the ranch seasoning and everything comes together. If you can make it a few hours ahead, do it.
• Keep the dressing separate if making way ahead. If you’re prepping a full day in advance, store the dressing separately and toss right before serving. If you’re prepping 2 to 4 hours ahead, go ahead and toss everything together but be generous with the sour cream and mayo since the pasta will absorb some of it.
• Reviving leftovers: If the salad looks dry the next day, stir in a splash of milk, a spoonful of mayo, or some homemade ranch dressing to bring it back to life.
• Try a different protein: Leftover baked honey ham or shredded rotisserie chicken both work great in place of (or alongside) bacon. This also makes a great chicken bacon ranch pasta salad if you want to bulk it up.