This Ranch Pasta Salad is the best easy side dish for any occasion! Made with tri color rotini, red bell pepper, broccoli, cucumber, and a homemade creamy ranch pasta salad dressing.
Why you’ll love this pasta salad
flavorful: This ranch pasta salad recipe is creamy, crunchy, and so yummy.
easy to make: with just a handful of ingredients and a simple homemade ranch dressing, this easy pasta salad comes together in minutes
great for any occasion: the best side dish for holidays, cook outs, potlucks, birthday parties, and more.
We love ranch salad dressing in our family, so this ranch pasta salad recipe is one that we could eat again and again!
It’s super simple to make, just like my other pasta salad recipes: tortellini pasta salad, chickpea pasta salad, and southwest pasta salad. All you need is just 7 basic ingredients.
This is great for parties or hot summer months. It’s always a crowd pleaser!
You can find the full recipe and instructions at the bottom of this post, but here’s what you will need to make this recipe.
Step 1: Cook the tri color rotini pasta noodles to al dente. Add a few shakes of salt to the pasta water while it cooks.
Step 2: While the pasta is cooking, you can get started on chopping up the fresh vegetables. Dice up the bell pepper and cucumber, and cut the broccoli into very small florets.
Step 3: When the rotini is done cooking, drain it and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Let it drain while you work on the remaining pasta salad ingredients.
Step 4: In a small bowl, add the mayo, sour cream, and ranch seasoning until combined to make the creamy ranch dressing.
Step 5: Add the drained and cooled pasta to a large serving bowl. Add the cut up broccoli, bell pepper, and cucumber.
Step 6: Stir the ranch dressing into the pasta and veggies until well combined. Salt the pasta salad to taste if necessary.
prep your veggies ahead of time: save time and cut up your veggies ahead of time and place them in individual ziploc bags in the refrigerator to make assembling this pasta salad a breeze.
add the dressing 1-2 hours before serving: pasta salad dries out in the refrigerator, but tastes best when chilled. The best way to serve ranch pasta salad is after it has been in the refrigerator for no more than 1-2 hours.
add more dressing to leftover pasta salad: pasta salad can dry out in the refrigerator. Try stirring in more ranch dressing when you serve this the next day.
Storing and Serving
at room temperature: pasta salad is best served chilled, and should sit out no longer than two hours at room temperature
how to store: ranch pasta salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
This recipe is best served right away for the best creaminess. Like most pasta salad recipes, it will dry out some in the fridge.
The easy fix for this is simply stir in a little more ranch dressing if you plan to eat leftovers the next day! Just use some bottled ranch dressing if you find it needs a little extra dressing.
Are you making this recipe? I want to see! Don’t forget to tag me on instagram @buildyourbite and hashtag #buildyourbite with your recipe creations!
This ranch pasta salad is so delicious and you will definitely be back for seconds!
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I could eat this ranch pasta salad any time of year!
Pasta Salad FAQs
How long is ranch pasta salad good for in the fridge?
Ranch pasta salad will be good in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Do I have to use homemade ranch?
Making your own ranch is optional. You can also substitute 1 ½-2 cups of your favorite ranch dressing.
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a star rating below!
Yield: 12 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 23 minutes
This creamy ranch pasta salad recipe is an easy and delicious side dish that is sure to be a hit!
Ingredients
12 oz tri color rotini pasta
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 medium cucumber, chopped
1 ½ cups finely diced broccoli florets
For the ranch salad dressing
8 oz sour cream
½ cup mayo
1 oz packet ranch seasoning
Instructions
Salt the pasta water and cook the tri color rotini according to the package instructions for al dente. Once it is done, drain immediately and rinse with cold water.
Add the bell pepper, cucumber, broccoli, and rotini to a large serving bowl
In a small bowl, combine the mayo, sour cream, and ranch seasoning to make the creamy ranch dressing
Stir the ranch dressing into the pasta and veggies until combined. Salt to taste, if necessary
Refrigerate for no more than 1-2 hours before serving
Store leftovers covered in the fridge and enjoy within 3-4 days.
Notes
Most pasta salad will dry out some in the fridge, so if this happens I suggest stirring in a little bottled ranch before serving your leftovers
How long does pasta salad last in the fridge? When stored in an airtight container, pasta salad will stay fresh for 3-5 days. If some of the fresh ingredients go bad faster, it might only last 2 days, i.e. Deli/cured meats can lose their color after 2 days but will still be flavorful.
Pasta salads made from thin, oil-based dressing, such as most Mediterranean pasta salads, will hold up okay in the freezer. Pasta salad made with a creamy or mayonnaise-based dressing, however, won't freeze nearly as well. The texture and taste of mayo or dairy-based dressings will change after they thaw.
If you're making a dish that will be served chilled or at room temp—think cold soba, rice noodles, pasta salad—you do want to rinse so that you get toothsome (sorry) individual strands rather than one big gummy clump. Certain types of noodles benefit from a rinse in almost all applications.
I find that the higher time range listed on box instructions is usually just about right for pasta salad. Let your pasta cool completely before tossing it with the other ingredients. If it's still warm, the hot pasta will start to cook and wilt the veggies.
When you're making cold pasta salads, it's helpful to rinse your cooked pasta because it's going to lower the temperature of the pasta, which is ideal given that it's going to be served chilled — often alongside other cool and/or raw ingredients.
For storing: After I make this pasta salad, whether making it ahead or storing leftovers, I just pop it in the fridge and it will keep for 2-3 days. For making ahead: I love to make pasta salad 12-24 hours ahead of time. This gives it time to absorb the dressing but not get mushy!
Save this answer. Pasta absorbs liquids, because it is made of starch, and starch absorbs water. Tossing the pasta with oil will reduce the absorption, by coating them in a water-repellent layer. Beyond this, the solution is simple: don't drain as much water from the cooked pasta, and add more dressing.
Egg yolks are the ideal addition to pasta sauces, salad dressings and custards that need thickening. The protein in egg yolks thicken when heated and they also add a richness to sauces.
In addition to the mayonnaise and sour cream, we use these ingredients: Yellow mustard adds a bit of color and rounds out the flavor of the dressing nicely. We usually use Dijon mustard in our recipes, but just like when making our potato salad, we prefer regular yellow mustard for the best pasta salad.
If you're going to eat your pasta cold, you should rinse it under cold water, right? Wrong! Instead, take a page from Perry's playbook and toss the cooked pasta with a little olive oil, then spread it in a single layer on a baking sheet to let it cool completely.
What temperature should pasta salad be cold-held at? To keep pasta salad safe, the dish must be held at a maximum cold-holding temperature of 41°F (5°C) or below. Pasta salad is a popular dish often served in restaurants as an appetizer.
The short answer is yes. Mayonnaise can be frozen, but don't expect the texture to be the same after it thaws. Mayonnaise is an emulsion—combining ingredients that don't typically mix well together—to create a thick, creamy sauce that you can spread on sandwiches, make ranch dressing or onion dip.
I will share some specific salad recipes in the coming days and weeks. But today, I am going to teach you how to make a salad without using a recipe so you, too, can become a salad artist. Sound like a deal? There are five elements to a perfect salad: greens, sweetness, creaminess, crunchiness, and dressing.
The starch in the water is what helps the sauce adhere to your pasta. The only time you should ever rinse your pasta is when you are going to use it in a cold dish like a pasta salad or when you are not going to use it immediately. In those cases, rinsing the pasta helps to stop the cooking process.
Introduction: My name is Velia Krajcik, I am a handsome, clean, lucky, gleaming, magnificent, proud, glorious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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