Cilantro Ranch Pasta Salad - The Keep At House Chef

This isn’t your typical grocery retailer pasta salad. We’ve taken a primary pasta salad and dressed it up! This recipe is such a recreation changer—it’s simple to whip up, and also you’ll need this cilantro ranch dressing on every part. We wish to make a giant batch on Sunday and eat it all through the week.

Should you love this recipe, take a look at our scrumptious Classic Italian Pasta Salad.

Why Our Recipe

You’ll wish to put this do-it-yourself cilantro-lime ranch on every part!
Loaded with veggies, cheese, and bacon, so nobody leaves hungry.
Simple to prep the night time earlier than and able to throw collectively if you want it!

Closeup of cilantro ranch pasta salad being grabbed tongs.

We’re completely having fun with the hotter climate over right here at The Keep At House Chef. Our household at all times stays busy, leaving us to ceaselessly look by way of the fridge 5 minutes earlier than lunch, hoping to search out one thing we will throw collectively. This one is nice for a fast, last-minute meal, or makes an excellent addition to any potluck or yard barbecue.

Ingredient Notes

Ingredients used to make Cilantro ranch pasta salad.

Bowtie Pasta: We love bowtie pasta in pasta salad, however you should utilize rotini, shells, radiatorre, or macaroni.
Cherry or Grape Tomatoes: Both one works. Reduce them in halves or quarters so that you get the proper chunk. A mixture of crimson and yellow tomatoes seems actually fairly too.
Cheddar Cheese: Should you don’t like cheddar, different nice choices embrace mozzarella (contemporary mini balls or shredded), Monterey jack, or pepper jack.
English Cucumber: These have extra taste and fewer seeds than common cucumbers, however each can be utilized.
Purple Onion: Purple onions are the very best for consuming uncooked.
Bacon: Crumble it up! Cook dinner your individual or seize the pre-cooked sort.
Avocado: Add them for those who love them, and go away them out for those who don’t.
Salsa Verde: Seize a jar of your favourite gentle or medium salsa verde. Use no matter warmth degree you want.
Mayonnaise: Substitute with Greek yogurt, low-fat mayo, or Miracle Whip.
Lime Juice: Contemporary-squeezed is at all times going to have the very best taste, however bottled lime juice works too.

Pasta Choices

We love this salad with bowtie pasta for its heartier chunk, however you possibly can actually use any pasta you want. Penne, rotini, cavatappi, elbow, and shells are all nice choices that maintain that scrumptious sauce nicely.

Elective Add-Ins

Meat: Not a fan of bacon? No drawback. You possibly can simply add some grilled hen, floor turkey or beef, and even some sliced salami as an alternative.

Veggies: We love a great crunch to our pasta salads. Should you’re trying to load up with extra veggies, peppers, corn, and olives all pair nicely with this recipe’s components.

Beans: Add some extra substance to your salad! Beans are a good way to make this pasta salad a bit extra hearty and filling. We advocate black and kidney beans.

Cheese: Be at liberty to make use of your favourite cheese. We love the sharpness of cheddar cheese, however you should utilize mozzarella for a milder possibility, or spice it up and use pepper jack!

Cilantro ranch being poured onto the pasta salad.

Make-Forward Directions

This salad’s tremendous simple to make forward. You possibly can whip up the dressing 1 to 2 days early and stash it within the fridge. Cook dinner the pasta and bacon the night time earlier than, too. Simply hold them separate so every part stays contemporary. Whenever you’re able to eat, all you’ve bought to do is chop the cheese and veggies and toss all of it collectively in a giant bowl. Finished and finished.