Creamy Ranch Pasta Salad (Printable Version)

Spiral pasta tossed in ranch with smoky bacon, peas, and cheddar—cool it down before you serve at summer parties.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 285 g rotini noodles

→ Dressing

02 - 0.25 teaspoon ground black pepper
03 - 0.5 teaspoon onion powder
04 - 120 ml Greek yogurt
05 - 1 teaspoon dried dill
06 - 120 ml mayonnaise
07 - 0.5 teaspoon garlic powder
08 - 0.25 teaspoon kosher salt
09 - 60 ml buttermilk

→ Add-ins

10 - 0.25 cup chopped fresh parsley
11 - 225 g sharp cheddar cheese, cubed
12 - 185 g frozen peas, green
13 - 225 g smoked cheddar cheese, cubed
14 - 10 slices bacon, sliced into 5 cm bits

# Steps to Follow:

01 - Stick the pasta mix in your fridge so it gets good and cold before you dig in. Enjoy it straight from the fridge.
02 - Grab a huge bowl. Throw in your cold pasta, bacon pieces, both kinds of cheese, the peas, and parsley. Drizzle your dressing all over, then gently give everything a toss so every bite is coated.
03 - Cut your bacon and toss the chunks into a skillet on medium heat. Let them get nice and crispy for around 10 minutes. Move the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to soak up any grease. Wait until they cool, then chop them up.
04 - Pour your frozen peas into a mesh strainer. Run cold tap water over them until they aren’t icy. Let them sit in the strainer so the water drips off.
05 - Grab a bowl and whisk together the mayo, Greek yogurt, buttermilk, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and salt until it’s smooth. Keep it chilled until you’re set to use it.
06 - Fill a big pot with water and toss in salt. Once it’s bubbling, throw in your rotini. Cook following the instructions on the box till just tender. Drain it and spread it out on a baking sheet so it cools off faster.

# Additional Notes:

01 - Let your pasta cool down well before adding dressing or everything will get soggy.
02 - Wanna cut calories? Go lighter on the cheese or just use smoked cheddar.
03 - Try out penne, bow tie, cavatappi, or orecchiette noodles if you don’t have rotini.

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