Ranch Pasta Salad For A Crowd
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A creamy ranch dressing coats a big batch of this simple pasta salad with tomatoes and cucumbers to make a great side dish.
Our Ranch Pasta Salad for a crowd is the fastest pasta salad in our collection and a budget friendly side dish for a potluck, party or big event.
We have several more easy Recipes for a Crowd and Graduation Party Food Ideas.
Easy Side Dish For A Crowd
This ranch pasta salad recipe is easy to keep light and simple as a side or enhance with bacon to make more of a main dish.
Delicious and eye pleasing, halves of cherry tomatoes and chopped cucumbers nestled among colorful rotini pasta salad coated in ranch dressing and accented with parmesan cheese is popular.
Italian dressing in our basic Pasta Salad for a crowd tends to have more general appeal, but ranch lovers go for the simplicity and creaminess in this recipe.
This ranch pasta salad is perfect to serve with Crudite, Coleslaw for a Crowd and a Deli Tray.
Ingredients
- Rotini – Tri-color or plain work fine, since the pasta is coated with white dressing the difference isn’t as obvious.
- Ranch Dressing – The best quality comes from mixing up a packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Restaurant Style Dressing – just whisk in some buttermilk and mayonnaise for a high quality dressing with low effort.
- Cucumbers – Try to choose smaller cucumbers as they will have smaller seeds.
- Cherry Tomatoes – Grape tomatoes are fine too – choose a smaller, sweeter variation and cut in half instead of quarters to save time.
- Parmesan – A bag of shredded is our go-to.
Add Bacon Because It Pairs Well With Ranch and Pasta
For a more hearty side dish add crumbled bacon or bits. There’s a saltiness and crunch which is enjoyable. For a lighter side dish stick with the more basic pasta, ranch, cucumber, and tomato combination.
A group of friends tested various options of this recipe. They noted that bacon, carrots or other add ins do increase the flavor, but it also increase the cost of ingredients and time spent preparing the pasta salad.
Our group prefers to keep is simple with a lighter side dish versus a heavier, heartier option. One friend would rather save her bacon and eat a separately or in Chopped Salad, Bacon Cheese Ball or Bacon Quesadilla.
Step By Step Instructions
In a medium sized mixing bowl whisk together the packet of ranch dressing, buttermilk and mayo. Chill until ready to use.
Cook pasta according to the directions on the box. Then drain and quickly rinse under cold water to cool the pasta off, prevent overcooking and to rinse off some of the starch.
Mix the dressing into the pasta coating all of the noodles well.
Then add chopped vegetables and parmesan cheese. Stir again.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and chill thoroughly.
Stir again just before serving to ensure the pasta is well coated with the ranch that sinks to the bottom of the dish over time.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Using a 20 or 24 quart commercial sized mixing bowl makes this recipe much easier.
- A long handled metal spoon is best for mixing and serving this salad at a big event.
- With these tools the whole batch can be made at once. With typical sized bowls and spoons making two batches is easiest.
- This recipe fits in two half size 9 x 13 disposable foil pans.
- Plan to have plenty of space in your refrigerator to spread out the pans and adequately chill the pasta salad.
- Pasta can be cooked a day ahead, tossed in a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil and stored in the refrigerator. This will also decrease the amount of time needed to chill the entire salad before serving.
- This recipe uses 4 cups of chopped veggies for every pound of pasta – we have added carrots, broccoli and onion into the mixture at times.
More Easy Recipes for a Crowd
Spaghetti for a Crowd and Chicken Noodles in a Roaster have been easy and popular to share with big groups at a local shelter.
Mac and Cheese for a Crowd and Cheesy Potatoes in a roaster are popular at any event!
Corned Beef in a Roaster and Turkey in a Roaster are great for special events.
Ranch Pasta Salad For A Crowd
Author: JenniferIngredients
- 2 pounds rotini pasta tri-color or plain
- 4 cups cucumber about 3 small cucumbers
- 4 cups cherry tomatoes about 25 – 30 ounces
- 1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese
Ranch dressing
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 cups mayonnaise
- 2 .4 ounce packets Hidden Valley ranch restaurant style dressing mix
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- Whisk ranch dressing packet into buttermilk and mayo.
- Pour over cooked pasta and stir well.
- Chop cucumbers into small triangles. Cut tomatoes into halves.
- In an extra large, commercial sized mixing bowl add veggies and parmesan cheese to pasta. Mix well.
- Pour into serving dishes, cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.