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Ranch Pasta Salad

Ranch pasta salad with creamy ranch-coated rotini, crispy bacon, shredded cheddar, and crunchy vegetables. Perfect for potlucks—cool, tangy, and evenly coated after chilling.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 560
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ranch Pasta Salad
  • 1 lb rotini pasta
  • 1 cup ranch dressing
  • 0.5 cup mayonnaise
  • 0.25 cup milk
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup broccoli florets, blanched
  • 0.5 cup red onion, diced
  • salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Cook and chill the components
  1. Cook rotini pasta according to package directions in a Dutch oven, then drain and rinse under cold water until the pasta is cool to the touch.
  2. Blanch broccoli florets until bright green and just tender, then drain and set aside to cool.
Make the ranch dressing
  1. Whisk ranch dressing, mayonnaise, and milk until smooth and creamy, with no visible streaks.
Assemble and season
  1. Combine pasta, cheddar cheese, bacon, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, and red onion in a large bowl.
  2. Pour the ranch dressing over the salad and toss until every piece looks coated.
  3. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then toss once more to distribute evenly.
Refrigerate
  1. Refrigerate the salad for at least 2 hours so the pasta absorbs the ranch dressing and the flavors meld.

Notes

For best texture, rinse the cooked pasta thoroughly with cold water to stop cooking and prevent clumping. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 4 days; freeze not recommended due to mayonnaise-based dressing separation. To make it lighter, use reduced-fat ranch dressing and mayonnaise while keeping the same method.