Are you looking for a delicious summer side dish that's easy to make and sure to please? Buttermilk Ranch Pasta Salad is the perfect solution!
This tangy, creamy, and flavorful pasta salad features a combination of pasta, crunchy fresh vegetables, and a delicious pasta salad dressing made with Hidden Valley Ranch Salad Dressing Mix.
Everyone will be back for seconds and beg for the recipe.
So step aside macaroni and cheese, and make some room for this ranch-style pasta masterpiece. We'll show you how to make it in less than 30 minutes, using fresh and affordable ingredients so you can feel good about what you put on your dinner table.
Do you have a favorite pasta salad recipe that you could remix with Ranch® Salad Dressing or Seasoning Mix?
I love to add Ranch Salad Dressing or Seasoning Mix to my pasta salads. Its great flavor can take a boring salad to the next level and is sure to be a crowd-pleaser at your next family dinner or BBQ.
How To Make Buttermilk Ranch Pasta Medley Salad
Ingredients
Below is a condensed list of the ingredients needed to make this Hidden Valley Ranch pasta salad . Scroll down to the recipe card for the recipe ingredient amounts and to save, share or print the recipe.
- pasta: Use a large pasta noodle like Cavatappi pasta, Cellentani pasta, or jumbo elbow macaroni
- tomato: I used diced tomato. You could also use heirloom cherry tomatoes cut in half.
- fresh broccoli: cut the raw broccoli florets into bite-size pieces
- sweet bell peppers: I used a combination of diced yellow and orange sweet bell peppers. You could also use green, or red bell peppers
- seasonings: salt and pepper to taste
- ranch pasta salad dressing: buttermilk, mayonnaise and an envelope Hidden Valley Ranch Salad Dressing and Seasoning Mix
Directions
Pasta salad can be made in under thirty minutes if you do a little prep work before beginning the recipe. The pasta can be cooked ahead of time.
Even the night before if you cook it to the correct texture and drain it well before putting it in the refrigerator overnight.
Recipe Prep Work: Cook the pasta until tender in a large pot of salted boiling water following the directions on the package. Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water until the pasta noodles are cold to the touch. Drain in a colander well to remove as much water as possible.
Step 1: Place the cooked Cellentani noodles in a large oversized bowl.
Step 2: Add the diced bell peppers, diced or halved tomatoes and bite size pieces of raw broccoli to the mixing bowl.
Step 3: Add the mayonnaise and buttermilk to the bowl.
Step 4: Add the salt, ground black pepper and the envelope of Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning to the bowl with the other salad ingredients.
Step 5: Use a large mixing spoon to gently fold the ranch pasta salad ingredients together.
Mix until the vegetables are evenly incorporated with the pasta and the buttermilk ranch pasta dressing coats all of the pasta evenly.
Step 6: Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight before serving.
Ranch® Salad Dressing and Seasoning Mix is a simple way to add a flavorful kick to a classic recipe.
Recipe FAQs
If your pasta salads turn out dry instead of creamy you have probably not cooked the pasta correctly. Undercooked pasta will absorb the pasta salad dressing and over cooked pasta can turn mushy. The pasta needs to be cooked correctly so the pasta salad dressing will coat the pasta.
Expert Recipe Tips
- 30 minute pasta salad recipes: Most pasta salad recipes can be made in 30 minutes or less if you do the prep work before mixing the recipe. Pasta can be boiled, drained and refrigerated the night before and vegetables can be chopped or diced and kept refrigerated before needed.
- Cooking the pasta: It is important to cook, cool and drain the pasta for pasta salad correctly. If the pasta is undercooked it will absorb much of the salad dressing once it is refrigerated and the pasta salad will be dry. If the pasta is overcooked the pasta salad might turn out mushy. If the pasta is not drained very well then the noodles will absorb too much liquid and turn mushy and the dressing will not be creamy.
- Mixing the ingredients: Use a bowl that is large than you think you need when mixing pasta salad ingredients. You need extra room to evenly mix the vegetables with the pasta noodles and ranch dressing. I will use an oversized mixing bowl to prepare the salad and then transfer it to an airtight bowl with a lid to refrigerate and serve the dish.
- Refrigerating pasta salad before serving: All pasta salads benefit from a long chilling period before serving. Although you could serve this pasta salad immediately and it would taste very good it will taste much better if the ingredient flavors have a chance to marry.
More Pasta Salads
- Zesty Italian Pasta Salad
- Sour Cream and Cheddar Pasta Salad
- Broccoli and Tomato Pasta Salad
- Creamy Pea Pasta Salad
Email questions or recipe requests to flouronmyface@gmail.com. Follow me on Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.
Buttermilk Ranch Pasta Medley Salad
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Cavatappi or Cellentani pasta (cooked following the directions on the box)
- 1 cup diced fresh tomato
- 1 cup fresh broccoli florets cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 cup diced yellow and orange sweet bell pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup Hellman's mayonnaise (or Duke Mayonnaise)
- 1 envelope Hidden Valley Original Ranch Salad Dressing and Seasoning Mix (or 1 tablespoon my Gourmet Ranch Dressing Mix)
Instructions
Recipe Prep
- Dice the sweet bell peppers and tomatoes, Trim the broccoli stems and cut into bite size pieces. Put in a bowl and set aside until needed.
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water until just el dente, about 12 minutes.
- Drain the pasta well and rinse in cold water until the pasta is cool to the touch.
Mix the pasta salad
- Dump the cooked and cooled Cellentani pasta into a very large mixing bowl.
- Add the diced bell peppers, diced tomatoes, and bite size pieces of broccoli to the bowl with the pasta.
- Add the mayonnaise, and buttermilk to the bowl.
- Add the salt, ground black pepper and dry Ranch Salad dressing mix to the bowl.
- Alternately you can mix the buttermilk, mayo and one envelope of Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Salad Dressing or Seasoning Mix together in a small bowl before adding to the pasta salad. Pour the dressing mix over the cooled pasta and vegetables before mixing.
- Use a large spoon to mix the pasta salad ingredients until the dressing covers all the vegetables and pasta.
- Refrigerate the pasta salad for at least 2 hours before serving. Overnight is best.
- Ranch® Salad Dressing and Seasoning Mix is a simple way to add a flavorful kick to a classic recipe.
Recipe Expert Tips
- Ranch Salad Dressing and Seasoning Mix is a simple way to add a flavorful kick to a classic recipe.
