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Home » Salad

Published: Apr 3, 2025 · Modified: Jun 6, 2025 by Kathy

Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

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Pasta salad with tomatoes and bacon.

Tired of boring pasta salads? This Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad is sure to please! It features plenty of bacon, peas, and cherry tomatoes all wrapped in a delicious ranch dressing.

Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad in a white bowl.

Ranch dressing pasta salad

My family loves ranch dressing, so this pasta salad was an instant hit! I used my homemade ranch dressing, but your favorite bottle of ranch dressing also works.

This is a perfect salad to serve at BBQs, potluck dinners, or family dinners. You can serve Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad right away, it gets even better if it's refrigerated for two hours before serving. This gives the flavors a chance to meld together.

Ingredients for ranch pasta salad

Pasta salad ingredients in small bowls.
  • Pasta - Use fusilli or tri-colored rotini pasta. Small shells, elbow macaroni, or bowtie pasta also work well.
  • Ranch Dressing - I like to use my homemade ranch dressing, but your favorite store-bought ranch dressing works well too.
  • Bacon - Cook up about 8 slices of bacon and chop into pieces. The crispier the better!
  • Frozen Peas - Find petite peas. They are the sweetest. Pull the peas out of the freezer so they begin to thaw. It's okay to add if they are still partially frozen. No need to cook the peas!
  • Cherry Tomatoes - Adds color and flavor!

Step-by-step directions for making ranch pasta salad

Fusilli pasta topped with ranch dressing.
  1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water to remove extra starch, and to cool the pasta. Drain all excess water.
  2. Place cooled pasta in a large bowl along with ranch dressing. Stir gently to coat.
A large bowl filled with pasta, cherry tomatoes, bacon, peas, and cheese.
  1. Add peas, bacon, tomatoes, and cheese.
  2. Stir gently so everything is distributed.
  3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
  4. Just before serving, stir again. If the pasta seems dry, add ¼-½ cup of ranch dressing.

Recipe tips

  • Make certain your pasta is cool before adding the ranch dressing. Rinsing the cooked pasta under cold water will cool the pasta quickly and will help keep the pasta from sticking.
  • The pasta will absorb some of the dressing while in the refrigerator. If the salad becomes too dry, add more dressing. You can also add 1-2 tablespoons of milk to help moisten the salad.
  • This salad is best when it has had a chance to meld the flavors in the refrigerator for 2 hours. However, if needed, you can serve it right away.
  • Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Frequently asked questions

How long will bacon ranch pasta salad last?

This pasta salad should last 3-4 days when covered and refrigerated.

Serving suggestions

Serve with your favorite main dishes. Some options include:

  • Grilled Beer Can Chicken
  • Baked Chicken Legs
  • Crockpot Italian Beef Sandwiches
  • Blackened Walleye
  • Baked Apricot Chicken

More delicious pasta salads

If you love having a variety of pasta salads in your dinner rotation, you'll also want to try these delicious pasta salads:

  • Italian Pasta Salad - Dressed with a homemade zesty Italian dressing.
  • Deviled Egg Pasta Salad - Creamy and delicious with added hard-boiled eggs.
  • Tortellini Pasta Salad - Cheese tortellini is the pasta used in this salad.
  • Orzo Pasta Salad - Small rice-shaped orzo pasta makes a great salad.
  • Easy Pasta Salad - When you need something fast, easy, and delicious, this is a great pasta salad!
Pasta salad with tomatoes and bacon in a large white bowl.

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop

Check out all my delicious salad recipes!

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  • A small green bowl filled with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing surrounded by fresh veggies.
    Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
  • Easy broccoli salad with bacon bits in a white bowl.
    Easy Broccoli Salad
  • Pesto Orzo Salad with tomatoes, spinach and mozzarella in a large bowl.
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Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad in a white bowl.

Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

Kathy Berget
Favorite pasta salad with bacon, tomatoes, and ranch dressing.
No ratings yet
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Chilling Time 2 hours hrs
Total Time 2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Servings 10 servings
Calories 429 kcal
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Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound tricolored rotini pasta
  • 1 cup ranch dressing
  • 1 cup crispy bacon (chopped, about 8 strips)
  • 1 bag frozen peas, thawed (10 ounce bag)
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved)

Instructions
 

  • Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water to remove extra starch, and cool the pasta. Drain all excess water.
    1 pound tricolored rotini pasta
  • Place cooled pasta in a large bowl along with ranch dressing. Stir gently to coat.
    1 cup ranch dressing
  • Add peas, bacon, tomatoes, and cheese. Stir gently so everything is distributed. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
    1 cup crispy bacon, 1 bag frozen peas, thawed, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1 cup cherry tomatoes
  • Just before serving, stir again. If the pasta seems dry, add ¼-½ cup of ranch dressing.

Video

Notes

    • Make certain your pasta is cool before adding the ranch dressing. Rinsing the cooked pasta under cold water will cool the pasta quickly and will help keep the pasta from sticking.
    • It's okay to add the peas while they are still partially frozen.
    • The pasta will absorb some of the dressing while in the refrigerator. If it becomes too dry, add more dressing. You can also add 1-2 tablespoons of milk to help moisten the salad.
    • This salad is best when it has had a chance for the flavors to meld in the refrigerator for 2 hours. However, if needed, you can serve right away.
    • Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Nutritional Disclaimer:

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition

Calories: 429kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 15gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 449mgPotassium: 313mgFiber: 4gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 458IUVitamin C: 21mgCalcium: 77mgIron: 2mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @BeyondTheChickenCoop or tag #beyondthechickencoop!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Fran @ G;day Souffle' says

    April 13, 2025 at 6:53 pm

    Kathy, I'm glad to hear that you are still blogging 'beyond your chicken coop'! This looks like an incredibly flavorful dish, plus something my toddler granddaughter would like!

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      April 14, 2025 at 5:08 am

      Hi Fran!
      So good to hear from you!!! You'll definitely need to make this for your granddaughter! I hope you're still blogging too!
      Kathy 🙂

      Reply
      • Fran@ G'day Souffle says

        April 23, 2025 at 8:17 pm

        Yep- still blogging! I had a 15-month break though, after suffering from 'blogger's block'! Got inspired again, thank goodness!

      • Kathy says

        April 24, 2025 at 3:45 am

        Yay!!! We all need a break sometimes! Glad you're still going! 🙂

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I'm Kathy, and I love to create delicious recipes from scratch utilizing many ingredients that we grow and raise. I'm a recipe creator, food photographer, and cookbook author!

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