Description
Pasta Ranch Salad is the ultimate crowd-pleaser for your 4th of July picnic. This vibrant dish combines al dente rotini pasta, crunchy fresh vegetables, and a creamy ranch dressing, delivering an explosion of flavors and textures in every bite. Perfect for summer gatherings, it’s easy to prepare and customizable with your favorite ingredients. Impress your guests with this refreshing salad that will have everyone coming back for seconds!
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups rotini pasta
- 1 cup ranch dressing
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup cucumber, diced
- 1 cup bell peppers, sliced
- ½ cup red onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup bacon bits
Instructions
- Boil salted water in a large pot. Cook the rotini pasta according to package instructions until al dente (about 8 minutes). Drain and rinse under cold water.
- While the pasta cools, chop the cucumbers, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, and red onions.
- In a large bowl, combine cooled pasta with chopped vegetables and toss gently.
- Drizzle ranch dressing over the mixture and stir until everything is well-coated.
- Fold in shredded cheddar cheese and bacon bits.
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour before serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup (240g)
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 670mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 10g
- Cholesterol: 40mg
Keywords: Customize by adding proteins like grilled chicken or chickpeas. For a lighter version, substitute traditional pasta with spiralized zucchini or cauliflower rice. You can prepare this salad a day ahead; flavors deepen overnight.