This creamy bacon ranch pasta salad is loaded with pasta, bacon, parmesan cheese, peas, and tomatoes in a creamy ranch dressing. It's the perfect crowd-pleasing side dish for picnics, potlucks, or summer dinners!

bacon ranch pasta salad in a bowl, topped with tomatoes and peas, next to forks, napkin, serving bowl.

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Why You'll Love This Recipe

Great combo of flavors - for those of you who love recipes like my Crack Chicken Soup and bacon ranch green beans, you're going to love this salad! It has a creamy ranch dressing with bacon, cheese, and tomatoes. It's a perfect heavy salad for a summer dinner.
Easy to throw together - Boil pasta, mix an easy dressing, and toss ingredients together - it doesn't get more simple than that.
Cost-effective - As of publish date, I'm figuring this whole recipe costs around $10. With 8 servings per recipe, you're looking at under $2 a serving for a perfect summer dinner.

Ingredients & Substitutions

labeled ingredients for bacon ranch pasta salad.

1 pack ranch dressing mix - I like to use the bigger jars of ranch dressing mix - much more cost-effective, and the seasoning can be used for so many different recipes. If you go this route, use about 3 tablespoons of ranch mix in your dressing.
½ cup mayonnaise - If you have access, Duke's mayo is the way to go!
½ cup sour cream - An easy way to cut some fat in this recipe is to use light sour cream and light mayo. You won't notice a huge taste difference.
⅓ cup milk - I do recommend using whole milk; it makes your dressing nice and creamy.
16 oz bowtie pasta - Cook the pasta to al dente (with just a little bit of a bite) and drain before making your salad. Boil the pasta, removing it while still somewhat firm, and give it a cold water bath to make sure it doesn't get mushy. Rotini, penne, and maraconi pastas are all great in this recipe, too!
1 cup bagged real bacon pieces - These are not bacon bits; they're near the bacon bits, but they are actual pieces of cooked bacon. Very different! Of course, you can use actual bacon if you'd like; I'd recommend 8-10 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled.
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese - If you'd prefer, cheddar cheese or even a Pepperjack works great in this recipe.
1 cup frozen peas - You'll want to thaw your peas before making the salad, but they don't need to be cooked.
10oz cherry tomatoes - I like to halve my cherry tomatoes so you don't get a huge bite of tomato in your salad. Tip: If you're planning on serving this more than 24 hours after you make it, leave the tomatoes out until you're ready to serve.
⅓ cup chopped green onion - This is going to give your salad a great bite and a little dose of color. These can be left out if you don't have them on hand, though.

How to Make Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

stirring ranch dressing for the salad in a measuring cup.

ingredients for bacon ranch pasta salad, separated, in a large bowl.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the ranch dressing mix, mayonnaise, sour cream, and milk until smooth.
In a large bowl, combine the pasta, bacon, cheese, peas, green onion, and tomatoes. Pour the ranch dressing over the top and toss until everything is evenly coated.
Cover and refrigerate for 1–2 hours before serving.

Step-by-Step Recipe Video

side view of a bowl of bacon ranch pasta salad, topped with tomatoes and peas.

Helpful Tips & Tricks

It's totally ok to make this pasta salad up to 24 hours in advance of serving. If you do need to make it in advance, leave the cherry tomatoes out until a few hours before serving.
Leftovers should be refrigerated in a covered dish. You can refrigerate this salad for up to 4 days after originally making it - those flavors will intensify the longer it sits!
Add in extra veggies (like bell pepper, red onion, or shredded carrot) for even more nutrition! I'd recommend around a cup of any given veggie add-in.

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