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Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad combines pasta, creamy buttermilk ranch, bacon, cheese, olives, and tomatoes to create the perfect salad to enjoy at your next BBQ this summer. Bacon Ranch Pasta salad is without a doubt my kid’s favorite. It is always a big hit at our BBQ’s.

Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

This Bacon ranch Pasta Salad is a huge hit, no matter who I serve it for! We love it because it is loaded with so many delicious flavors that go together so incredibly well. The Ranch with the cheese and bacon with the addition of olives mixed with the pasta creates a quick and easy meal that everyone will ask for seconds for while eating. 

Rotate this into your weekly meal plan on pasta night alternating between our grilled chicken and asparagus pesto pasta and our chicken florentine pasta for dishes the whole family is guaranteed to love. 

How to make Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

• In a large mixing bowl, add noodles, cheese, bacon, tomatoes, olives, salt & pepper.

• Pour in ranch dressing and mix well.

• Serve & enjoy. 

Tips Tricks and FAQs

• You can use any noodle for this recipe, I find it best to use noodles that are bite-sized for this salad. 
• This is served cold, I recommend placing it in the fridge for about an hour after mixing to help the flavors all come together. 
• If you are short on time you can easily use bacon crumbles that you can pre-buy at the store. 
• If you prefer, you can use homemade Ranch dressing as well. 
• If you want to add some more protein, try adding some chicken for a great addition. 
• I love to cube my cheese, but you can easily shred it if you prefer. 
• Throw in some peas for even more flavor in this dish. 

Storage

You will want to store your leftover salad in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. If you find it to be a little dry when you go to eat it, you can add a splash of milk to rejuvenate it a bit. 

Make Ahead

This is actually a great salad to make ahead because it really does get better over time. There are many days that I make this several hours ahead of time and then let it sit in the fridge. This elevated the flavors even more. 

How to cook Pasta in the Instant Pot

Cooking pasta in your Instant Pot is a little bit different than the stovetop version. I have found the Instant Pot has swooped in and helped save the day of many of my pasta dishes. It cooks it correctly, and I don’t have to worry about my pot boiling over! I definitely recommend you give it a try.

• Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole
• Instant Pot Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Casserole
• Chicken Bacon Ranch Bubble Up Bake
• Crockpot Ranch Pork Chops
• Homemade Ranch Seasoning

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