Chicken Ranch Pasta Salad With Bacon (Ready in 30 Minutes)
This incredibly easy cold pasta salad is loaded with crispy bacon, tender shredded chicken, fresh tomatoes, and a thick homemade ranch dressing that clings to every spiral. Ready in 30 minutes and the first thing to disappear at every cookout and potluck.
Ingredients
- 3 cups Dry fusilli or rotini pasta uncooked, spiral shape traps the dressing in every curve, (approx 270g / 9.5 oz)
- 5 strips Thick-cut bacon cut into small pieces before frying for even crunch
- 2 cups Shredded rotisserie chicken pulled into medium pieces, (approx 280g / 10 oz)
- 2 cups Cherry or grape tomatoes sliced in half, (approx 300g / 10.5 oz)
- 1/2 medium Red onion finely diced into small uniform pieces
- 1/2 cup Ranch dressing thick and creamy, homemade or good bottled brand, plus extra for leftovers, (approx 120ml)
- optional: Fresh flat-leaf parsley small handful, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Make the Ranch Dressing: Add all dressing ingredients to a mason jar, add cold water one tablespoon at a time, seal tightly and shake hard for 20 seconds. Taste, adjust salt, and refrigerate until needed.
- Boil the Pasta: Cook the pasta in heavily salted boiling water to al dente, about 1 minute less than the package says. Drain immediately and rinse under cold running water until fully cool. Shake the colander well and let it drain thoroughly before using.
- Crisp the Bacon: Cut the bacon into small pieces and place in a cold dry pan. Bring to medium heat and cook until deep golden and crunchy, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
- Prep the Mix-Ins: Halve the cherry tomatoes, finely dice the red onion, and pull the rotisserie chicken into medium-sized pieces.
- Assemble the Bowl: Add the completely cooled pasta, shredded chicken, tomatoes, and red onion to your largest mixing bowl. Toss gently until evenly combined.
- Dress and Coat: Pour half the ranch dressing over the ingredients and toss well. Keep adding gradually until every piece is well coated but not drowning. Season with salt and black pepper and stir in the fresh parsley if using.
- Add Bacon and Serve: Scatter the crispy bacon on top right before serving so it stays crunchy. If chilling first, keep the bacon separate and add at the last minute. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 hour before serving.
Notes
Rinse the Pasta: Always rinse the hot drained pasta under cold water immediately. This stops the cooking and washes away surface starch that causes noodles to clump together.
Thirsty Pasta Secret: Cold pasta absorbs the dressing as it sits. Always stir in an extra splash of ranch right before serving leftovers to bring the creaminess back.
Bacon Timing: Add the bacon right before serving only. Bacon sitting in dressing goes soft and loses all its texture.
Bottled Ranch: A good bottled ranch like Hidden Valley works fine here if you are short on time. Homemade coats the pasta more evenly but both give a great result.
Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. Store extra dressing and bacon separately. Do not freeze, the tomatoes turn to mush and the dressing separates.
Scaling Up: This recipe doubles or triples easily for larger gatherings. Simply multiply every ingredient by the number of batches you need. Use your biggest mixing bowl and always dress the pasta gradually, a doubled batch does not always need exactly double the dressing so add it in stages and taste as you go.