Cold Ranch Pasta Salad – Tri Colored Rotini is mixed together with halved cherry tomatoes, fresh broccoli florets, green peas, matchbox carrots and cold ranch dressing for a super easy summer pasta salad!
RECIPE IS BELOW IN PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD BUT BLOG POST IS FULL OF “HOW TO MAKE IT”, TIPS, INFORMATION AND FAQ
Summer weather is on the way and we’re ready to play! Well, my 4 year old is ready to play haha, I’m ready for cookouts, summer evenings by the fire pit and long days.
This pasta salad is a quick and delicious side dish to whip up for a cookout or just to have in the fridge to snack on.
Why You Should Make this easy Ranch Pasta Salad…
- easy summer pasta salad
- perfect pasta salad for anyone that loves ranch
- quick pasta salad recipe for a cookout
QUICK GLANCE AT INGREDIENTS for Cold Ranch Pasta Salad:
- 12 ounce tri-color rotini
- 2 cups chopped fresh broccoli florets
- 1 cup chopped matchstick carrots
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
- 20 ounces ranch dressing, store bought or homemade ranch dressing
- salt to taste
I’ve shown the ingredients above that you’ll need but you’ll also need a few items from the kitchen to make this recipe:
Why You Should use Tri Colored Rotini for this pasta salad…
You can really use any pasta for pasta salad but I like to use the tri-colored or garden rotini for this ranch pasta salad for a few reasons:
The Shape: The shape of the rotini pasta is great for this recipe because it clings onto the ranch and the ranch can really get into the swirls of the pasta.
The Color: Since this pasta salad is made using ranch dressing which makes it all very white, I like to use the colored pasta to help add color.
How to make Cold Ranch Pasta Salad:
- Cook Pasta.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
-
Add pasta and cook for 8 – 9 minutes.
- Drain.
Drain pasta.
- To Rinse or Not to Rinse.
You can rinse pasta or not. I rinse my pasta for cold pasta salads, but my best friend Italian and is 100% against it haha.
- Time to Mix.
Add in broccoli, carrots, peas, and tomatoes to a big bowl.
- Add in the pasta and mix.
Add in pasta and mix together.
- Stir in Ranch.
Add in 2 cups ranch dressing and stir.
DON’T STIR IN ALL OF THE RANCH
- Chill
Cover and place into the fridge for at least 2 hours.
-
Before serving. Stir in the rest of the ranch dressing and add salt to taste.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You’ll need to make this pasta salad a few hours in advance so that it can sit in the fridge, but you can make it up to 2 days in advance.
This pasta salad should be stored in an air tight container in the fridge.
I like the matchstick carrots because they’re already super small and a quick chop to them is all they need before being tossed into the pasta salad.
More pasta salad recipe:
- Ham and Cheese Pasta Salad – No Mayonnaise
- 25 Summer Pasta Salads
- Greek Chicken Pasta Salad
- Tomato Basil Pasta Salad with Mozzarella & Fontina
Cold Ranch Pasta Salad
Cold Ranch Pasta Salad
Cold Ranch Pasta Salad - Tri Colored Rotini is mixed together with halved cherry tomatoes, fresh broccoli florets, green peas, matchbox carrots and cold ranch dressing for a super easy summer pasta salad!
Ingredients
- 12 ounce tri-color rotini
- 2 cups chopped fresh broccoli florets
- 1 cup chopped matchstick carrots
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
- 20 ounces ranch dressing, store bought or homemade ranch dressing
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add pasta and cook for 8 - 9 minutes.
- Drain pasta.
- You can rinse pasta or not.
- Pour pasta in a large bowl.
- Add in broccoli, carrots, peas, and tomatoes.
- Stir together.
- Add in 2 cups ranch dressing and stir.
- Cover and place into the fridge for at least 2 hours.
- Before serving. Stir in the rest of the ranch dressing and add salt to taste.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: about 1 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 428Total Fat: 34gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 26gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 788mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 4gSugar: 6gProtein: 6g
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