Tortellini Ranch Pasta Salad

Serve this Tortellini Ranch Pasta Salad for lunch or dinner on a hot summer day just as is, or serve it as a side with your favourite summer grilled mains! The diced cheddar cheese and the crumbled smoky bacon make this pasta salad extra delicous!

I’m all about pasta salads. I can eat pasta salad every day. There are just a few caveats. First and foremost, they have to be delicious. Texture is an absolute must! They have to be easy to make, inexpensive, and they must be still just as tasty the next day! And, finally, they have to pair well with a main like chicken, beef, or my favourite, pork! All of those reasons and more are exactly why I cannot get enough of this Tortellini Ranch Pasta Salad!

The best thing about pasta salads is that they can be made ahead of time. You can easily adapt them to your liking too because they’re very forgiving. And, it seems that everyone loves them! That’s probably why they are such a popular side dish at many restaurants, and certainly at every summer picnic or backyard BBQ! This pasta salad has all of the flavour of a regular ranch pasta salad, but prepared with tortellini which makes the salad even more delicious and certainly more substantial. That’s why you can eat this particular pasta salad as a side or a complete meal!

TORTELLINI DO; TORTELLINI DON’T

If you decide to use fresh, homemade tortellini, I’ll assume that your cooking skills/knowledge are to the point where you don’t need any help. But, if you’re using store-bought, frozen tortellini, let me walk you through it.

When using frozen tortellini, you must keep it frozen. And, you must use it in its frozen state. Do not thaw it first! I know that’s a contradiction of what normally happens when cooking, but in this case, it’s gospel. If you thaw it first, I guarantee it will become rather mushy or fall apart completely.

I used three cheese tortellini, because I wanted this pasta salad to be vegetarian friendly. I knew John.e would want a big serving of this too, so I had to keep it vegetarian. (I know you can see bacon in the photographs, but I prepared two separate bowls of pasta and incorporated bacon into just half for me!) I used frozen tortellini and when I picked it up, I noticed that there were also beef and pork-filled tortellini. I’m not exactly sure how those flavours would translate to a pasta salad with ranch flavouring, so I’m going to strongly suggest you stick to the cheese-filled tortellini.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Tortellini – Personally I think the frozen stuff works best here. And, where I live, the frozen type is more budget-friendly.
• Cheese – Cheddar cheese is so good in this salad. If you use shredded cheese, it gets too soft, so buy a brick of cheese and dice it for the best results.
• Bacon – I like a low-sodium bacon. Cut it into one-inch pieces and cook it to your desired level of crispness.
• Sour Cream – This adds tanginess, but will also lighten up the dressing with less fat and fewer calories than using all mayo.
• Mayonnaise – You can use any mayonnaise, even the fat-free stuff!
• Buttermilk – A tried and tested ingredient in any good ranch dressing, so we cannot skip out on it here!
• Ranch Seasoning
• Dried Dill – I know some ranch seasoning packets or blends have dried dill in it, but not nearly enough! I always like to add a little bit more dill flavour.
• Ground Black Pepper
• Green Onions – These add freshness, colour, and lots of flavour.
• Parsley – For freshness and garnish.

HOW TO MAKE A TORTELLINI RANCH PASTA SALAD

Place the cooked, cooled tortellini pasta into a large mixing bowl and set aside. In a smaller bowl, add the sour cream, mayonnaise, buttermilk, ranch seasoning, dried dill, and ground black pepper. Whisk to combine. Transfer the sauce mixture to the bowl of tortellini and add the cheese, bacon, green onions, and parsley. Stir well to combine.

At this point, you should taste for seasoning. I did not add any extra salt because mayonnaise, bacon, cheese, and even the ranch seasoning can be quite salty depending on the brand you use. If you feel you need more salt, add it now and stir into the pasta salad. Transfer the salad to a glass bowl with a tight fitting lid. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

COOKING PASTA

Let me talk to you a bit about how to get the pasta just right without overcooking it. Someone once told me that I prepare pasta like an old Italian grandma. That has stuck we me for so many years. You see, Dear Reader, I’m far from perfect, but cooking pasta is one thing I can certainly do perfectly. I don’t care what the back of the pasta package says, cook your pasta according to taste and texture. Ignore everything else. Here are my 4 steadfast rules:

Rule #1: Say no to oil!

Do you add oil to your pasta water before adding the pasta? Stop that right now! I don’t know who’s responsible for that, but I have seen some TV chefs do it! If you add oil to your pasta water, do you know what happens when you put the sauce on it? The sauce won’t stick as well as it should. It will slide off because the oil prevents it from sticking.

Rule #2: Add extra salt!

Salt the water. I used to be so afraid of salting pasta water because I thought it would be too salty to eat. Salting the water, before you add the pasta, is the only chance you get to season that pasta. Let the water come to a full boil before adding your salt. The water should taste like the ocean. Your version of this Tortellini Ranch Pasta Salad Dinner will thank you! Don’t dump the salt in; stir it in. Preventing the salt from settling at the bottom of your pot will keep your pot looking shiny and new. If you have pots with what looks like a tarnished or unpolished interior bottom, it’s because salt sat at the bottom of your pot.

Rule #3: Get that pasta moving about immediately!

Stir the pasta for a good minute when you first add it to the water. This helps to wash off some of the starch and prevents the pasta from sticking to the pot and to itself. I always pull out a piece of pasta 4 minutes before the package says it will be ready. Taste it. Chew it. It shouldn’t be completely soft. If it has a bit of bite left in the center, get it out of the water and drain it immediately. You can thank me later!

Rule #4: Do not rinse! – EXCEPT IN THIS CASE

So many of us are tempted to rinse pasta under running water after it’s been drained. I think it comes from the notion that it gets rid of the starch. Well, it does in a way. But, when pasta begins to cool off and dry, it becomes a little sticky. That stickiness soaks up pasta sauce, so don’t flush it out! A quick drain is all you need. Get the pasta into a bowl or onto a plate. Get the sauce on it and serve it up. (That all applies to hot pasta dishes, but for a pasta salad, go ahead and rinse. Get all of that starch off!)

STORING AND REFRIGERATION

It’s important to let this Tortellin Ranch Pasta Salad chill in the fridge for at least four hours. This will allow the ingredients time to hang out and get to know each other! The pasta will absorb some of the sauce and its flavour. The ranch seasoning in the sauce will heighten the flavour of the other ingredients. And, the saltiness of the bacon and the mayo are also working their magic. There are a lot of things happening in that bowl, aren’t there!?

After four hours, the salad is ready to serve. Toss it again before plating just to freshen everything up. The salad does tend to settle a little bit. You can safely store this salad in your fridge for up to three days. Be sure to keep the salad covered at all times.

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!