Creamy Ranch Pasta Salad

Creamy Ranch Pasta Salad – creamy, dreamy pasta salad made with real ranch dressing, fresh carrots, broccoli, and turkey.

Creamy Ranch Pasta Salad

This creamy ranch pasta salad is easy to make and so delicious! The recipe is inspired by our favorite local deli, Caesar’s Deli in Bakersfield, California. We order their ranch pasta salad, along with their delicious sandwiches and catering, often for parties and events. I have always loved how they include carrots, fresh broccoli, and deli turkey in their ranch pasta salad. It’s the perfect ranch pasta salad, so I’ve taken inspiration for my homemade version, and I’m so happy with how it has turned out.

INGREDIENTS FOR RANCH PASTA SALAD

• Rotini Pasta – seasoned with salted water while cooking and slightly overcooked. Soft instead of al dente so that it absorbs more of the dressing.
• Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper 
• Apple Cider Vinegar – combined with the pasta while it’s still hot to keep it from curdling the milk in the dressing. 
• Mayonnaise – good quality mayonnaise, like Best Foods or Hellmann’s.
• Milk – whole milk is recommended for the best consistency.
• Ranch Seasoning – Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning packets. You will need two 1 oz packets.
• Carrots – freshly shredded with the large holes of a box grater.
• Broccoli – finely chopped raw broccoli florets
• Turkey – Good quality deli turkey slices, diced.

HOW TO MAKE RANCH PASTA SALAD

1. Prepare Pasta – Start by cooking the pasta according to package directions, but season the cooking water with kosher salt and extend the cooking time to 10 minutes.
2. Drain Pasta – Drain the pasta and toss with apple cider vinegar. Let pasta cool for 10 minutes while preparing the ranch dressing.
3. Make the Ranch Dressing – Prepare dressing. Set aside and refrigerate one cup of ranch dressing to combine with pasta before serving.
4. Stir Dressing and Pasta Together – In a large bowl, combine pasta with ranch dressing (minus the reserved cup of dressing), carrots, broccoli, and turkey, and refrigerate for at least one hour.
5. Add Reserved Dressing – After one hour, or when ready to serve, combine the reserved cup of dressing with pasta salad and serve.

RECIPE TIPS

• Season the Pasta While Cooking – use a tablespoon of kosher salt added to the water after it starts boiling to season the pasta water.
• Overcook the Pasta – slightly overcooking the pasta makes it very soft and allows more of the dressing to absorb into the pasta.
• Toss the Hot Pasta with Vinegar – apple cider vinegar is a simple but key ingredient for balancing the flavor of the pasta salad. Allowing it to absorb into the hot pasta separately will protect the milk in the dressing from curdling. 
• Add the Dressing in Two Steps– to ensure the pasta salad is extra creamy, reserve a cup of dressing to stir in right before serving. The pasta will absorb the flavors of the dressing in the first step and will get that super creamy texture in the second step.

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