Are you searching for just the right dish to bring to the next gathering? Or do you need something to serve as a side dish next time you fire up the grill? This ranch pasta salad is such an easy pasta salad to make and it definitely passes the taste test of the family!
Whether you are going to a backyard barbecue or just looking to make a good side dish for a party, pasta salad is a classic. This macaroni salad is made with hard-boiled eggs, chopped vegetables, and ranch dressing.
It’s an easy pasta salad recipe to make with just a few simple ingredients, packed with hard-boiled eggs and combined with creamy pasta…yum!
As a child growing up my grandma made a version of this for all our family gatherings. I decided to put a little twist on it and make it my own, and it never ever disappoints.
How To Make Ranch Pasta Salad Step by Step
1. Gather the ingredients. You will need rotini noodles, grape tomatoes, an onion, broccoli, hard-boiled eggs, and ranch dressing.
2. Prepare the vegetables and hard-boiled eggs. The hard-boiled eggs are optional. You can chop them and mix into the salad or slice them and lay on top. Chop the broccoli into bite-size pieces. I like to cut the stems very short and put the florets in the salad. Finely dice the onion to taste. I use about half of a medium sized onion. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half.
3. Mix up the ingredients. Once the pasta is drained and cool, mix in the vegetables and ranch dressing.
4. Cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours before serving.
5. Right before serving, stir it up again. If it seems a little dry, the pasta tends to soak up the ranch dressing, then just add more ranch and then serve.
Tips
- Stir 1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken or ham into the salad for a main-dish salad.
- Make the salad a few hours before serving or a day ahead. Stir in a little bit more ranch to moisten the salad.
- Add any combination of vegetables that your family likes. We’ve also used cucumbers and bell peppers before or maybe you want to sprinkle some parmesan cheese into the salad.
- I often times use the lite ranch dressing but you can also make your own ranch dressing.
- Buy chopped veggies to save time.
More Great Recipes
Easy Buffalo Chicken Dip – Buffalo chicken dip is a satisfying appetizer!
Grilled Chicken Sandwich – This chicken sandwich would pair so perfectly with the ranch pasta salad at your next BBQ!
You May Need
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I use this bowl for most of my pasta salad recipes. This is the set I have and use all the time and I love that the lids come with each bowl. I also love this white serving bowl and lid.
Ranch Pasta Salad Recipe
This easy pasta salad recipe is creamy and a family favorite! It’s a great way to get the kiddos to eat their veggies and a great dish to bring to a potluck or summer BBQ. It really is so good.
If you make it, let me know in the comments below. I would love to know what kind of ingredients you mix up in your pasta salad!
Ranch Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 box tri-color rotini pasta
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped brocolli
- 1 cup grape tomatoes (halved)
- 2 hard-boiled eggs (diced)
- 2 cups favorite Ranch dressing (we use Hidden Valley lite)
Instructions
Cook pasta according to package instructions. Salt the pasta water so the noodles have some flavor. Drain the pasta and rinse under cold water.
While pasta is cooking, chop the vegetables.
In a bowl combine the cooled pasta, broccoli, onions, tomatoes, chopped hard-boiled eggs, and ranch dressing. Stir together until well combined.
Refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving. The pasta may dry out a bit in the fridge. Just add some additional dressing and give it a good stir before serving.
Always looking for great recipes. Thank you! It looks delicious and I can’t wait to try!