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This ranch pasta salad is an easy side dish loaded with crispy bacon, tomatoes, olives, and rotini pasta tossed with creamy homemade buttermilk ranch dressing. Change up the recipe with any veggies and add-ins you’d like.
Pasta salad is a favorite summer side dish, and there are so many ways to make it! Try my creamy BLT pasta salad and Caesar pasta salad, too.
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With so many warm weather occasions coming up (I see you, Easter, Mother’s Day, and summer BBQs!), I’m already planning to have this ranch pasta salad on repeat. It’s one of my easiest pasta salad recipes, and it’s super flavorful, with tender pasta, smoky bacon, and veggies tossed with creamy, tangy homemade ranch dressing. I mean, who can say no to bacon and ranch? If you’re looking for a side dish that people will hunt down for seconds, make this creamy ranch pasta salad!
Reasons to Love This Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad Recipe
- Creamy homemade dressing. I make my buttermilk ranch dressing from scratch. It’s easy to do with simple ingredients, and I love knowing exactly what goes into it.
- Quick to make. Pasta salads make great last-minute side dishes, especially in the summer when I’ll look for any excuse not to turn on the oven. This ranch pasta salad comes together quickly. Prep the dressing and ingredients while you boil the pasta.
- The most flavorful pasta salad ever! I use my handy secret to the best pasta salad of all time: dressing the salad once when you make it and again when it’s time to serve. It’s a game changer.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Below are the ingredients you’ll need to make this family-favorite ranch pasta salad. You can make it with your favorite store-bought or homemade dressing, it’s up to you. Refer to the printable recipe card after the post for the full ingredients list with amounts.
- Dried Pasta – I use rotini (corkscrew) pasta, but you can use any short-cut pasta here. Other good options are penne, small shells, and bowtie pasta. You could also use orzo for an orzo pasta salad.
- Red Onion – Or another sweet onion, like shallot or Vidalia onion, finely chopped.
- Grape Tomatoes – I like the sweetness of grape or cherry tomatoes, but you can dice up larger tomatoes if that’s what you have. Larger tomatoes will make the salad a bit more watery.
- Olives – I slice up black olives, but you can use green olives, manzanilla, kalamata, or any kind you’d like.
- Bacon – Name a better combo than bacon and ranch! I usually make a batch of air fryer bacon and crumble it afterward.
- Ranch Dressing – I include my homemade buttermilk ranch dressing recipe. Feel free to use your favorite homemade or store-bought dressing (or ranch dressing mix).
How to Make Ranch Pasta Salad
This ranch pasta salad recipe often leaves enough time to chop the ingredients and whisk together the dressing in the time it takes to boil the rotini. Follow the steps below, and toss everything to combine afterward. Scroll to the recipe card for the printable instructions.
- Cook the pasta. First, boil the pasta according to the package directions. Afterward, drain and then rinse the pasta thoroughly under cold water.
- Make the dressing. In the meantime, whisk the ranch dressing ingredients together.
- Combine the ingredients. Now, combine the cooled pasta, tomatoes, onion, bacon, and olives in a bowl. Pour over the dressing (I usually start with about ¾ cup) and toss to coat. Add more dressing as needed.
- Chill. Refrigerate the pasta salad until it’s time to serve. I like to save the leftover dressing and add a little bit more just before serving.
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Rinse the pasta. Immediately drain the cooked pasta and rinse it under cold water. It stops the pasta from overcooking and rinses the excess starch away.
- Dress the salad twice. My trick to the best pasta salad! Assemble the ingredients and toss them with about half the dressing (in this case, that’s about ¾ cup). Then, reserve the rest of the dressing to toss with the salad right before serving. It boosts the flavors and gives the salad the creamiest texture.
- Need a buttermilk substitute? If you find yourself short of buttermilk to make the dressing from scratch, make an easy 2-ingredient buttermilk substitute from whole milk and lemon juice (or white distilled vinegar). It takes about 5 minutes.
- For a lighter ranch dressing, substitute sour cream with Greek yogurt.
- Use fresh herbs. As a general rule, when replacing dried herbs with fresh herbs, you’ll need about 3x the amount of fresh.
- Add more veggies. Go ahead and add more vegetables to your ranch pasta salad, like diced bell peppers, carrots, celery, cucumber, or green peas.
- Add cheese. Stir in cubed cheddar cheese, mozzarella, Monterey Jack, Colby, or Pepper Jack cheese. You could also add grated parmesan or crumbled feta.
Serving Suggestions
I wouldn’t be kidding if I said this creamy, flavor-packed ranch pasta salad goes with everything! I love it as a BBQ side dish with more favorites like potato salad and corn on the cob. Serve it with smoked ribs, grilled chicken skewers, or turkey burgers at your Memorial Day or 4th of July cookout. Don’t miss these M&M cookies (or a red, white, and blue version) for dessert!
Storing Leftovers
Store any leftover bacon ranch pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Stir it well before serving. I like turning leftovers into a meal by adding air fryer chicken breast or steak bites.
More Easy Pasta Salad Recipes
Ranch Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 12 oz dried rotini
- ¼ cup chopped red onion
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
- 4 oz sliced black olives
- 5 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1 cup ranch dressing
- 2 Tablespoons milk, optional
Ranch Dressing Recipe
- ½ cup mayo
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried chives
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water to chill.12 oz dried rotini
- Meanwhile in a bowl mix together the ranch dressing.½ cup mayo, ½ cup sour cream, ½ cup buttermilk, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon dried dill, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, 1 teaspoon dried chives, 1 clove garlic, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Once the pasta is cooked and cooled add tomatoes, red onion, bacon, and black olives, Pour about ¾ cup of ranch dressing and mix until well coated. Add more dressing if desired. If your dressing is thick, you can add a little milk to thin it out so it coats the pasta well.¼ cup chopped red onion, 1 cup grape tomatoes, 4 oz sliced black olives, 5 strips bacon, 1 cup ranch dressing, 2 Tablespoons milk
- Store in fridge until ready to serve. Can toss with more dressing when ready to serve.
Notes
- Any short-cut pasta works.
- Add cubed cheddar cheese or other veggies.
- Use your favorite ranch dressing, homemade or store-bought.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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