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Home > Dinner > Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

By Ashlyn Edwards — July 29, 2014, Updated June 16, 2018 36 Comments

DinnerMeatlessSaladsSide DishesVeggies

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This Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad is the perfect side dish for barbecues and summer get-togethers. It’s fresh, yummy, and always a crowd pleaser!

Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

I first shared this post over on Bloom Designs earlier this month, and wanted to bring it here again for all of you! I love making this pasta salad in the summer time. When it’s warm and and you’re outside grilling, it is the perfect, cool side dish to pair with burgers or steaks hot off the grill.

Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

This Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad has been a favorite of mine for the past few years. It’s actually one of the first recipes I ever made when I started out in the kitchen. It’s easy to prepare, and every time I make it, my family gobbles it up!

Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

You can add in a variety of veggies, or leave them out altogether if you wish. I’ve made it many times, adding ingredients or not, and it always come out great. I LOVE adding chopped cucumber because it adds a pretty pop of green and a nice bit of crunch. My crazy hubby hates cucumber, though, so sometimes I take pity on him and leave it out. But this time I just couldn’t help myself. 🙂

Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

In other news, we returned from our family vacation over on the Big Island a couple days ago. We had such a great time! It was our first island-hop since moving to Oahu, and we were kind of amazed at how big it actually is! We spent some time in Volcanoes National Park, toured Waipio Valley, visited a Black Sands Beach, did some stargazing on Mauna Kea, and toured a few coffee farms in Kona. We also had some beach time and ate lots of delicious food! The latter is usually my favorite part of any vacation. 😉

Belle of the Kitchen | Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

That’s a picture of my hubby and I at Punalu’u Black Sands Beach. It was such a cool experience to be there and see it in person!

Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

This Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad is the perfect side dish for barbecues and summer get-togethers. It’s fresh, yummy, and always a crowd pleaser!
4.82 from 11 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 10
Calories: 392kcal
Author: Ashlyn Edwards | Belle of the Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 1 12 oz. package uncooked tri-color pasta
  • 5 slices bacon, cooked crisp and chopped
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 envelope dry ranch salad dressing mix
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic pepper
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
  • 1 small cucumber, chopped into 1/4 moon slices
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

  • Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente, making sure not to overcook. Drain well.
  • In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, ranch dressing mix, garlic powder, and garlic pepper. Stir in the milk until mixture is nice and smooth.
  • Carefully fold the cooked pasta into the dressing mixture, and stir to coat evenly.
  • Refrigerate the pasta salad for at least 1-2 hours. When ready to serve, add in the chopped bacon, veggies, and cheese, and toss to coat. You can also add a splash of milk to smooth the pasta salad out as needed.

Nutrition

Calories: 392kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 507mg | Potassium: 202mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 240IU | Vitamin C: 4.4mg | Calcium: 110mg | Iron: 0.8mg
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!Mention @TheBelleoftheKitchen or tag #BelleoftheKitchen

This Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad is the perfect side dish for barbecues and summer get-togethers. It's fresh, yummy, and always a crowd pleaser!

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Comments

  1. Larry says

    June 9, 2019 at 11:32 pm

    5 stars
    I love this, but I cut back a little on the mayo and instead of all mayo I do half mayo and half sour cream (1/2 cup of each) Takes it to a whole new level. Love your site!

    Reply
    • Ashlyn says

      June 13, 2019 at 3:31 pm

      Love that idea, Larry! Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
  2. Alina | Cooking Journey Blog says

    June 5, 2019 at 5:56 am

    5 stars
    Awesome picture from vacation! I think I need to try your colorful and delicious salad recipe this summer.

    Reply
  3. Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says

    June 5, 2019 at 5:26 am

    5 stars
    This definitely is a winner for summer get togethers, it looks delicious

    Reply
  4. Amy | The Cook Report says

    June 5, 2019 at 4:41 am

    5 stars
    This looks like the perfect summer side dish, can’t wait to try it!

    Reply
  5. Tania | Fit Foodie Nutter says

    June 5, 2019 at 3:25 am

    5 stars
    This is a great salad to accompany all the summer BBQs!

    Reply
    • Vanessa Alexander says

      July 4, 2019 at 9:15 pm

      3 stars
      I expected much more flavor. It was just ok. I don’t think I will make it again .

      Reply
  6. Jacqueline Debono says

    June 5, 2019 at 3:19 am

    5 stars
    I love using farfalle pasta for pasta salad. Yours looks really good! We have some black sand beaches here in Italy, well in Sicily really! Very cool!

    Reply
  7. Leslie Gooch says

    May 9, 2019 at 9:18 am

    Awesome how I found your recipe on here. Need something nice and cool for a church dinner at the lake. I am a Island girl from Kailua living on the mainland now. The Big Island is awesome and a one road around the island. lol Hope your enjoying Oahu my home island and enjoy the beach, will be back soon. Thank you for the recipe, will try to let you know how it went.
    Aloha,
    Leslie

    Reply
  8. Meredith says

    September 20, 2018 at 9:31 pm

    5 stars
    Yum! I love a good pasta salad! And adding bacon and ranch take this recipe over-the-top!

    Reply
  9. Lisa Bynum says

    September 20, 2018 at 9:26 pm

    5 stars
    Mmm, I never turn down a good pasta salad. Especially one with bacon.

    Reply
  10. Sharon says

    September 20, 2018 at 8:59 pm

    5 stars
    I love pasta salad year round! Perfect for side dishes or leftovers for the next day. This pasta salad look so good.

    Reply
  11. Annissa says

    September 20, 2018 at 8:02 pm

    5 stars
    Yummy! You can’t go wrong with adding bacon! It goes so well with ranch.

    Reply
  12. Sonal says

    September 20, 2018 at 7:51 pm

    Adding bacon to this salad is adding so much more flavor n crunch to it. I am sure it tasted amazing.

    Reply
  13. Michele H. says

    July 12, 2015 at 1:57 am

    Aloha! I pinned and shared your recipe, sounds fantastic! My Army son and family are also stationed in Oahu. My daughter was married in Maui, so I know what you mean about the incredible beauty of Hawaii. Our next visit will be to Kauai. Mahalo!

    Reply
    • Ashlyn says

      August 8, 2015 at 10:08 pm

      Sorry for the late response, Michele! I’m just now seeing your comment, thank you for sharing! Hawaii is definitely a beautiful place, and how wonderful that you have family here to come and visit! Kauai is on our bucket list. Many people we know say it is their favorite island to travel to! We are hoping to try out Maui around Christmas. We went to the Big Island last summer and had a great time there, too. 🙂

      Reply
  14. Amy | Canary Street Crafts says

    August 20, 2014 at 11:50 am

    This looks so good! I love pasta salad but I don’t really care for bottled salad dressing on it. Using a ranch packet is brilliant! Pinning and definitely going to make this 🙂

    Reply
  15. Bonnie @ The Pin Junkie says

    August 7, 2014 at 3:06 pm

    This looks like a really delicious salad! Thanks for sharing it at The Pin Junkie pin party. It was one of the features this week! Hope you can stop by and grab a brand new featured button! http://www.thepinjunkie.com/2014/08/pin-junkie-pin-party-79.html

    Reply
    • Ashlyn says

      August 12, 2014 at 9:41 pm

      Thank you so much, Bonnie! Very excited to be featured at your great party!

      Reply
  16. Diane Balch says

    August 5, 2014 at 10:27 am

    What terrific light and healthy meal for summer. Pinned. Good to see you again at Foodie Friday.

    Reply
    • Ashlyn says

      August 6, 2014 at 8:21 pm

      Thanks so much, Diane! And I appreciate you pinning. 🙂

      Reply
  17. Jamie @ Anderson + Grant says

    August 4, 2014 at 5:31 am

    This salad looks incredibly delicious, Ashlyn. Ranch and bacon are two of my favorites and I always love when they can be combined together in something. I’m sharing this as one of my favorite things linked up to our Summer in Bloom party. Yours was my favorite out of everyone that participated with Jenny! You have a great blog!

    Reply
    • Ashlyn says

      August 6, 2014 at 8:20 pm

      Jamie, thank you so much for saying that! You brought such a big smile to my face. 🙂 I appreciate you sharing it on your super cute blog. I’m all about your cute birdie header!

      Reply
  18. Julie @ Julie's Eats & Treats says

    August 3, 2014 at 7:27 am

    Oh I love a good salad for summer cook outs! Can turn down anything with Bacon & Ranch in it!!

    Reply
    • Ashlyn says

      August 6, 2014 at 8:05 pm

      I know, I’m the same way with anything bacon and ranch! It’s the ultimate combo. 🙂

      Reply
  19. Michelle @ A Dish of Daily Life says

    August 2, 2014 at 5:32 pm

    I love Hawaii! We’ve been a few times, mostly for races that my husband has done there, but we just went a couple years back to visit my brother in law and family who were living there at the time. Anyway, your recipe looks scrumptious! I love trying new salads!

    Reply
    • Ashlyn says

      August 6, 2014 at 8:17 pm

      We absolutely love it here in Hawaii, Michelle! It was our first island hop, and we had a great time on the Big island. What an awesome place to travel to for a race, by the way! Is your husband a triathlete? I know the Iron Man takes place on the Big Island.

      Reply
      • Michelle @ A Dish of Daily Life says

        August 6, 2014 at 8:31 pm

        He used to do the Xterra series…it’s an off road triathlon series. The World Championships are in Maui. I think once the kids are out of the house, he’ll go back to competing but once they got really active in sports, it became harder. We’ve got 2 in high school and one in middle school so those days are closer than I’d like. Hope you had a great time!

        Reply
        • Ashlyn says

          August 6, 2014 at 8:45 pm

          Wow, that’s awesome! I’ve heard of the Xterra series before; very cool to know that he’s been a part of it. He must be an amazing athlete, and it sounds like your kids are the same way. I totally understand slowing down with all the activities your kids have going on, though. Gotta enjoy all those moments with them that you can. Have a great night, Michelle. 🙂

          Reply
  20. Adrian says

    August 1, 2014 at 12:26 pm

    I love pasta salad. I will definitely be giving this one a try! Pinned:)

    Reply
    • Ashlyn says

      August 2, 2014 at 8:10 am

      Thanks so much, Adrian! I hope you enjoy it. 🙂

      Reply
  21. Jaren (Diary of a Recipe Collector) says

    August 1, 2014 at 2:46 am

    I love a good pasta salad! This one looks really good and perfect for summer! Your vacation sounded awesome…oh to be so close to paradise…

    Reply
    • Ashlyn says

      August 2, 2014 at 8:12 am

      Thank you, Jaren! And yes, Hawaii is pretty awesome, not gonna lie. 😉 It will be hard to leave when it’s time to move again!

      Reply

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Ashlyn bio picWell hello! I'm Ashlyn, and I'm so glad you're here! I hope you're hungry, cause I've got lots of family-friendly eats and treats just waiting for you! I'm a wife, mama, taco lover, and am blessed to be living in the great state of Texas. I love the south, cold brew coffee, Georgia football, cooking, and EATING!

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