Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad Recipe with Tortellini + Video
Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad is the ultimate summer side! With copious amounts of bacon, a perfectly tangy ranch dressing, and fresh vegetables, this cold tortellini pasta salad is sure to please! This creamy pasta salad is the perfect side dish!
This bacon ranch pasta salad recipe is an easy side dish and perfect for a potluck dinner or your next BBQ. Every time I’ve made it, it’s been a crowd pleaser!
While you can use any type of pasta, the steps, and ingredients listed on the recipe card show you an easy cooking process for making al dente pasta every time.
The key to making this delicious pasta salad is making sure that you have perfectly cooked pasta combined with the rest of the simple ingredients.
The ranch flavor is the perfect combination with the fresh ingredients, making it a great option for summer BBQs.
This recipe is an easy way to make the best pasta salad to pair with any main dish. When it comes to a cold pasta salad recipe, this is a great recipe to have on hand!
It’s one of my favorite pasta salads!
When I want another salad with a tangy punch, I make my Dill Pickle Pasta Salad which will have you convinced after just one bite!
Love tortellini salad? Don’t miss our Copycat Costco Tortellini Pasta Salad that brings that same crowd-pleasing tortellini salad that tastes like it came right from Costco!
Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
When temperatures outside start to rise, I immediately start craving cold, refreshing salads.
And while I do love greens, there’s nothing like a cold tortellini pasta salad to fill you right up!
They pretty much incorporate all my favorites into one bowl: pasta, cheese, veggies, and yummy dressings and toppings. Summer salad perfection!!
Recipe Video
Want to combine the best of both worlds? You’ve got to try this Green Goddess Pasta Salad with veggies, bacon, and eggs in a creamy herbaceous dressing.
If you just can’t get enough bacon in your pasta salad, try our Bacon Avocado Pasta Salad & Cobb Pasta Salad!
My BLT Pasta Salad is delicious and filling too, and a great option when you need to hold off on the cheese!
For more tender pasta goodness, try my Orecchiette Pasta Salad Recipe!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Pasta – You can use refrigerated or frozen tortellini for this bacon ranch salad recipe. Want to go the extra mile? Make these cheese-stuffed noodles from scratch!
- Veggies – Dice half a red onion, slice grape tomatoes in half, and chop bell peppers and English cucumber into bite-sized pieces. Sliced black olives are easy — just open a can and drain!
- Cheese – I prefer to use sharp cheddar, but you can use your favorite as long as it is firm and easy to slice into cubes.
- Dressing – Find a quick and easy ranch dressing recipe below, or grab a bottle of your favorite. This bacon ranch pasta salad is delicious either way!
You can even make a creamy ranch dressing using ranch seasoning – it’s really that simple!
You can also add some new ingredients the next time you make it. Cooked chicken breasts add protein, bacon bits add a savory crunch, and even cubes of Colby Jack cheese can add the best flavor.
I love how versatile this pasta dish is! (Also, adding more ingredients to this delicious flavor takes just a few simple steps, but can turn this side dish into a complete meal!)
Love bacon? Try another of my pasta salads with bacon, Creamy Pea and Bacon Pasta Salad!
Creamy Tortellini Pasta Salad Recipe Tips
- Don’t overcook the pasta. Cook just to al dente according to the package directions.
If overcooked, the tortellini will fall apart when tossed with the other bacon ranch salad ingredients. - Rinse pasta in cold water. This will stop it from cooking further.
Drain and immediately add the tortellini to a large bowl, then toss with half of the dressing to keep it from sticking together. It will also soften a bit after soaking up some of the dressing. - Make fresh bacon crumbles. Bagged salad topping crumbles are tough and chewy — gross! Instead, cook up thick slices of bacon in the oven or the air fryer.
Once cooled, you can chop or break strips into smaller pieces for a crispy addition to your creamy tortellini pasta salad!
Kitchen Tools You Will Need
- Colander – This kitchen essential makes life so much easier! You can use it to drain pasta or wash veggies and fruit.
- Cutting Board – Grab a big solid cutting board so you can prep all your veggies on one surface. I use my cutting board daily, so it’s worth the investment!
- Quality Knives – Quality knives make prep time much quicker and are important for safety as well. If you make one kitchen investment, I believe it should be in quality knives.
Bacon Ranch Salad FAQ
Honestly, just about anything. I don’t know if I would go so far as to use fish, but you can combine tortellini with bacon, chicken, ham, steak, and even shrimp!
You bet! In fact, it’s even tastier the next day after the flavors have had time to meld together.
Combine tortellini with bacon, cheese, and veggies, then toss with only half of the dressing.Â
Store the remaining dressing separately in the fridge, then add to bacon ranch pasta salad just before serving.
Leftovers will keep for 3 to 4 days when stored in an airtight container.Â
Keep in mind that the veggies will soften and the tortellini will absorb most of the dressing the longer it sits. So the sooner you can gobble up leftovers, the better!
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Bacon Ranch Tortellini Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 15 ounces refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini, about 4 cups cooked
- 1 pound thick-cut bacon, cooked, cooled, and crumbled (about 1 cup)
- 16 ounces grape tomatoes, halved (about 3 cups)
- 1 medium orange bell pepper, cut into bite-size pieces (about 1 cup)
- 1 medium yellow bell pepper, cut into bite-size pieces (about 1 cup)
- 1 English cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced (about 2 cups)
- 1 medium red onion, diced (about 1 cup, use half, reserve the rest for serving)
- 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, cubed (about 1 cup)
- 4.25 ounces canned sliced black olives, drained (about 1/2 cup)
- Easy Ranch Dressing, recipe below
EASY RANCH DRESSING
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 3 tablespoons dry ranch dressing mix
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, about 1 medium lemon, juiced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons) or 1 teaspoon garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon coarse-ground black pepper
Instructions
- BOIL WATER AND COOK TORTELLINI: Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a rolling boil over high heat (about 8 minutes). Add 15 ounces refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini, about 4 cups cooked and cook for 1 minute LESS than the package directs, usually 5 to 6 minutes. The pasta should be al dente, firm in the center, so it holds its shape when tossed. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water until the tortellini feels cool to the touch.
- MAKE THE RANCH DRESSING: In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 cup sour cream, and 1/2 cup whole milk until smooth and pourable, about 1 minute. Whisk in 3 tablespoons dry ranch dressing mix, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, about 1 medium lemon, juiced, 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons) or 1 teaspoon garlic paste, and 1 teaspoon coarse-ground black pepper. The dressing should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon but loose enough to pour. Cover and refrigerate while you prep the rest.
- DRESS THE TORTELLINI FIRST: Transfer the cooled tortellini to a large mixing bowl. Pour about HALF of the ranch dressing (about 3/4 cup) over the pasta and toss with salad tongs for about 1 minute until every piece glistens. Dressing the pasta first keeps it from clumping and lets it absorb the flavor while the rest of the salad comes together.
- PREP THE VEGETABLES AND CHEESE: Halve 3 cups grape tomatoes, dice 1 medium orange bell pepper, cut into bite-size pieces (about 1 cup) and 1 medium yellow bell pepper, cut into bite-size pieces (about 1 cup), slice 2 cups English cucumber, dice 1/2 cup red onion, drain 1/2 cup sliced black olives, and cube 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese. You want everything in roughly bite-size pieces so a single forkful catches a little of every ingredient.
- ADD THE BACON AND VEGETABLES: Add 1 pound thick-cut bacon, cooked, cooled, and crumbled (about 1 cup), 16 ounces grape tomatoes, halved (about 3 cups), 1 medium orange bell pepper, cut into bite-size pieces (about 1 cup),1 medium yellow bell pepper, cut into bite-size pieces (about 1 cup), 1 English cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced (about 2 cups), 1 medium red onion, diced (about 1 cup, use half, reserve the rest for serving), 4.25 ounces canned sliced black olives, drained (about 1/2 cup), and 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, cubed (about 1 cup) to the tortellini. Gently toss with salad tongs until the vegetables and bacon spread evenly through the pasta. Hear the bacon crunch as you turn the salad, that texture is what you want preserved.
- CHILL TO MELD THE FLAVORS: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. The pasta keeps absorbing the ranch flavor, the vegetables crisp up against the cold, and the bacon stays toothy because it has not yet met the second pour of dressing.
- DRESS AGAIN AND SERVE: Just before serving, pour the remaining ranch dressing (about 3/4 cup) over the chilled salad. Toss gently with tongs until everything looks evenly coated and the dressing pools just slightly at the bottom of the bowl. Taste a forkful, a good salad has cool ranch flavor on the first bite, then the salty bite of bacon, then the bright crunch of cucumber. Adjust salt or fresh ground black pepper if needed.
Video
Donna’s Notes
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published May 2015, updated and republished June 2025
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We’re Donna and Chad, the dream team behind The Slow Roasted Italian. Our focus is on taking complicated OUT of the kitchen. Life is busy enough, making meals should be fast and easy, to help make your life as simple as possible. Read More >>
This salad was so delicious!! My husband and I loved it, and so did both our next door neighbours. It combines a lot of the flavours we really like. It was amazing. It's going in my salad rotation. Thank you!
Looks delicious! Pinning. Love winter in Az, but summer is the reason why we come back home to NW IN.!
Vicky
would probably add chicken or even shrimp to this…
This recipe is so fresh and delicious 😋
I love pasta salad, and the bacon ranch is amazing! This would be so good if you put in chicken instead of pasta too! A very good recipe and one I’ll keep on hand.