Description
Creamy chicken ranch pasta salad delivers a zesty blend of comfort and freshness perfect for summer gatherings. Cool noodles mingle with tender chicken, crisp veggies, and tangy ranch dressing, creating a crowd-pleasing dish you’ll crave at potlucks and picnics.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken:
- 2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced (about 2 cups)
Protein:
- 6 slices bacon, chopped and fried
Pasta and Vegetables:
- 10 ounces (283 grams) pasta (Rigati or any pasta of your choice)
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) black olives, sliced
Dressing:
- 3/4 cup (180 milliliters) mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) sour cream
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) ranch dressing
- 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) chives, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- Boil pasta in salted water until al dente, then rinse with cold water to halt cooking and prevent sticking.
- Whisk together creamy components – mayonnaise, sour cream, and ranch dressing – creating a smooth, tangy base in a spacious mixing vessel.
- Incorporate fresh herbs and seasonings into the dressing, blending chives, salt, and pepper for enhanced flavor complexity.
- Dice cooked chicken into uniform bite-sized pieces, ensuring even distribution throughout the salad.
- Roughly chop crispy bacon strips, creating textural contrast and smoky undertones.
- Finely slice celery to provide crisp, refreshing crunch and subtle herbaceous notes.
- Halve cherry tomatoes to release their sweet juiciness and add vibrant color to the pasta mixture.
- Slice black olives into delicate rounds, introducing a rich, briny element to the composition.
- Gently fold all prepared ingredients into the creamy dressing, ensuring each component is thoroughly coated.
- Chill the pasta salad in the refrigerator for a minimum of half an hour, allowing flavors to meld and intensify.
- Before serving, give the salad a final gentle toss to redistribute the dressing and revive its lustrous appearance.
Notes
- Swap regular pasta for whole wheat or gluten-free options to accommodate dietary restrictions and add extra nutrition.
- Grill or roast chicken instead of using pre-cooked to enhance flavor and create a more robust protein component.
- Replace bacon with turkey bacon or crispy chickpeas for a lighter, vegetarian-friendly alternative that maintains the crunchy texture.
- Prep ingredients ahead of time and store separately to keep the salad fresh and prevent soggy pasta, mixing dressing and components just before serving for optimal taste and texture.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 75mg