Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad With The Best Dressing Video

Pasta salad recipes aren’t only a hit at gatherings, they make the best sides to practically every meal! Try out these favorites: Italian Tortellini Salad, Greek Pasta Salad, Mexican Pasta Salad, Orzo Pasta Salad, Cowboy Pasta Salad, Pesto Pasta Salad and Creamy Bacon Pea Pasta Salad.

HOW TO MAKE bacon ranch pasta salad VIDEo

Ingredients for Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

Pasta Bacon Ranch Salad is made with easy-to-find ingredients. Just pick up some fresh herbs, tomatoes and bell peppers and likely have the other ingredients stocked. To make the pasta salad, you’ll need the following:

FOR THE PASTA SALAD

FOR THE DRESSING

Ingredient Substitutions

How to Make Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

This Pasta Bacon Ranch Salad is incredibly easy to prepare! The pasta is boiled while you whisk together the homemade ranch and chop a handful of veggies. Let’s take a closer look at how to make it (full recipe measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post):

Step 1: Make the homemade ranch dressing. Whisk together the ingredients and store in the fridge until ready to use.

Step 2: Cook the pasta until al dente. Check the pasta a couple minutes before the box says to make sure you don’t overcook it. Step 3: Chop the veggies. I recommend doing this while the pasta boils. There isn’t a lot to chop, so the process is speedy! Step 4: Assemble the pasta salad. Toss together the chopped veggies, cooked pasta, and half of the ranch dressing. Don’t add the bacon just yet!

Step 5: Chill the pasta salad. Store the salad in the refrigerator for an hour or so, or until ready to serve so the ingredients have time to meld.

Step 6: Dig in! When ready to serve, toss the pasta salad with the remaining ranch dressing as well as the cooked and crumbled bacon. Waiting to add the bacon until you’re ready to serve keeps it crisp.

Use tortellini: These cheesy stuffed pasta pillows are one of my favorite pastas in salads. You can use any type of cheese tortellini, even sausage tortellini would be yummy! Make sure you use fresh, refrigerated tortellini and not dried tortellini on the shelf. Make it gluten-free: Use your favorite gluten-free medium pasta. Add olives: Add a handful of black olives if they are your thing for a salty, delectable tanginess. Add pickled jalapenos: For a spicy, tangy kick! Start with just a little and stir in more to taste – you don’t want to ruin your entire pasta salad by making it too spicy! Load up on veggies: I kept this Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad simple, but you’re welcome to add in any extra veggies you have lying around or swap in your favorites. Ranch dressing pairs well with pretty much any vegetable! Add protein: You can easily transform this Pasta Bacon Ranch Salad into a main dish by adding a protein. Toss in some leftover rotisserie chicken, lemon basil chicken, pesto chicken, leftover chopped pork tenderloin, ham etc. If adding additional protein, reduce the salt in the recipe and add salt to taste. Omit the mayo: If you really can’t stomach mayonnaise, use a vegan mayo, all sour cream, or full-fat plain Greek yogurt instead. Make it dairy-free: Omit the cheese and swap the sour cream for your favorite dairy-free/vegan sour cream substitute. You may also swap the sour cream for additional mayonnaise but it won’t taste as light. Mayonnaise is dairy-free but not vegan as it is made with egg yolks, vinegar, and seasonings. Make it vegetarian: Use vegan bacon. Make it vegan: For vegan or plant-based, omit the cheese or use dairy-free cheese, use vegan mayo like Vegainase, vegan sour cream or yogurt, and vegan bacon.