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.
Ingredients to make ranch pasta salad
- tri color rotini pasta
- diced red bell pepper
- diced cucumber
- fresh broccoli, cut into small florets
- sour cream
- mayo
- ranch dressing seasoning packet
How to make ranch pasta salad
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.
Ranch Pasta Salad Tips
- 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.
This ranch pasta salad is so delicious and you will definitely be back for seconds!
More Reader Favorite Recipes
I could eat this ranch pasta salad any time of year!
Pasta Salad FAQs
Ranch pasta salad will be good in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Making your own ranch is optional. You can also substitute 1 ½-2 cups of your favorite ranch dressing.
Ranch Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 12 oz tri color rotini pasta
- 1 red bell pepper finely diced
- 1 medium cucumber chopped
- 1 ½ cups broccoli florets finely diced
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.
Jillian
Wednesday 12th of October 2022
OMG this is my new favorite Pasta Salad!!! This will definitely be a go to staple recipe for me!