Description
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad is a delicious and hearty cold pasta salad combining spiral pasta, tender rotisserie chicken, crisp bacon, shredded zucchini, fresh tomatoes, sharp cheddar cheese, and a creamy homemade ranch dressing. Perfect for potlucks, picnics, or easy weeknight meals, this flavorful salad is chilled before serving to meld all the tasty ingredients together.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta Salad
- 12 ounce pack spiral pasta (Wacky Pack Veggie Spiral Pack recommended)
- 3 cups chopped rotisserie chicken
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 chopped tomato or a handful of cherry tomatoes, chopped in half
- 6 pieces thick sliced bacon, diced and cooked well done
- 1 zucchini, shredded (about 2 cups)
Copycat Ranch Dressing
- 1 pack Ranch Dressing seasoning
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare dressing: Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, combine the ranch dressing seasoning pack, mayonnaise, buttermilk, black pepper, paprika, and garlic powder to make the ranch dressing. Set aside.
- Cook chicken (if using raw): If using uncooked chicken, season it with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Place in a baking dish and bake at 350°F for 30 to 45 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Then cut the chicken into small cubes.
- Cook bacon: Place diced bacon pieces in a cold skillet over medium-low heat to ensure even cooking. Cook until crisp, then drain on paper towels and set aside.
- Cook pasta: Cook the spiral pasta according to the package directions. Once done, drain and rinse the pasta thoroughly with cold water to stop the cooking process and keep the pasta loose. Transfer the pasta to a large mixing bowl to cool.
- Combine salad ingredients: To the cooled pasta bowl, add chopped rotisserie chicken, shredded zucchini, chopped tomatoes, cooked bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, and the prepared ranch dressing. Mix everything together until well combined.
- Chill and serve: Cover the salad with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours before serving to let the flavors meld and the salad chill properly.
Notes
- Rinsing pasta with cold water after cooking helps to stop the cooking process and keeps the pasta from sticking together, which is ideal for cold pasta salads.
- Use a large bowl to mix all ingredients to make combining easier before transferring to a serving dish.
- Starting bacon in a cold skillet allows it to cook evenly and prevents burning.
- Rotisserie chicken is a great shortcut, but baking raw chicken as described works well too.
- Make the ranch dressing ahead to save time and enhance flavor blending.
