Chef Dean
Bacon Ranch Broccoli Salad
The potluck dish that vanishes first, every single time. Crisp raw broccoli, smoky bacon, and a creamy ranch dressing that turns skeptics into believers and demands a copy of the recipe before you leave.
Culinary Explorer
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Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
Created by Chef Remy
Spirals of tender rotini loaded with Cajun-spiced bacon, sharp cheddar cubes, and crisp vegetables, all bound together in a buttermilk ranch dressing with enough personality to make the church ladies ask for your recipe.
Salads
American
Potluck
Game Day
BBQ
25 min
Active Time
15 min cook•40 min total
Yield12 servings
Ranch dressing came out of a California dude ranch in the 1950s, but down here we've claimed it as our own. We add Cajun heat, fresh Gulf Coast herbs, and a generosity of spirit that turns a simple pasta salad into something people talk about for weeks.
The secret to a pasta salad that stands out at the family reunion isn't complicated: season in layers, use fresh herbs instead of dried, and never be stingy with the good stuff. At Lagniappe, we learned that folks remember the salads almost as much as the main course when you put real love into them.
This isn't some sad afterthought sitting in a plastic bowl at the end of the buffet table. This is a proper dish, substantial enough to serve as lunch on its own, flavorful enough to hold its own next to smoked ribs or fried chicken. The bacon gets kissed with Cajun seasoning before it hits the oven. The ranch is made from scratch with fresh dill, chives, and just enough cayenne to remind you where you are. When you bring this to the cookout, you're not just bringing food. You're bringing Louisiana hospitality.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
rotini pasta
Quantity
1 pound
thick-cut bacon
Quantity
1 pound
Cajun seasoning
Quantity
2 teaspoons
divided
mayonnaise
Quantity
1 1/2 cups
buttermilk
Quantity
3/4 cup
fresh lemon juice
Quantity
2 tablespoons
garlic
Quantity
3 cloves
minced fine
fresh dill
Quantity
2 tablespoons
chopped
fresh chives
Quantity
2 tablespoons
minced
fresh parsley
Quantity
1 tablespoon
chopped
onion powder
Quantity
1 teaspoon
smoked paprika
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
black pepper
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
freshly cracked
kosher salt
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon, plus more to taste
cayenne pepper
Quantity
1/4 teaspoon
sharp cheddar cheese
Quantity
8 ounces
cut into small cubes
cherry tomatoes
Quantity
1 cup
halved
bell pepper
Quantity
1 large
diced
red onion
Quantity
1/2 cup
diced fine
green onions
Quantity
4
sliced thin
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| rotini pasta | 1 pound |
| thick-cut bacon | 1 pound |
| Cajun seasoningdivided | 2 teaspoons |
| mayonnaise | 1 1/2 cups |
| buttermilk | 3/4 cup |
| fresh lemon juice | 2 tablespoons |
| garlicminced fine | 3 cloves |
| fresh dillchopped | 2 tablespoons |
| fresh chivesminced | 2 tablespoons |
| fresh parsleychopped | 1 tablespoon |
| onion powder | 1 teaspoon |
| smoked paprika | 1/2 teaspoon |
| black pepperfreshly cracked | 1/2 teaspoon |
| kosher salt | 1/2 teaspoon, plus more to taste |
| cayenne pepper | 1/4 teaspoon |
| sharp cheddar cheesecut into small cubes | 8 ounces |
| cherry tomatoeshalved | 1 cup |
| bell pepperdiced | 1 large |
| red oniondiced fine | 1/2 cup |
| green onionssliced thin | 4 |
Equipment Needed
- •Large pot for pasta
- •Sheet pan for bacon
- •Extra-large mixing bowl
- •Large serving bowl
Instructions
- 1
Season and cook the bacon
Lay your bacon strips on a sheet pan in a single layer. Sprinkle one teaspoon of Cajun seasoning across all the strips, then flip and season the other side. Bake at 400 degrees for 18 to 22 minutes until deeply crispy and almost mahogany in color. The Cajun spices will bloom in the rendered fat, creating bacon with real personality. Transfer to paper towels and let cool completely before chopping into bite-sized pieces.
Oven-baked bacon cooks more evenly than stovetop and the hands-off method lets you focus on everything else. Save some of that rendered bacon fat for the dressing if you want to push this over the top. - 2
Cook the pasta properly
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. The water should taste like the Gulf of Mexico. Add your rotini and cook one minute less than the package directions, since it will continue absorbing moisture from the dressing. Drain thoroughly and spread on a sheet pan to cool. Toss with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking. Room temperature pasta absorbs dressing better than cold, so time this right.
- 3
Build the ranch dressing
Whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, and lemon juice in a large bowl until smooth. Add the minced garlic, fresh dill, chives, parsley, onion powder, smoked paprika, black pepper, salt, remaining teaspoon of Cajun seasoning, and cayenne. Whisk until everything is incorporated. Taste it now. This dressing should have backbone, a little heat that builds at the back of your throat. Adjust the seasonings until it tastes like something you'd eat with a spoon.
Fresh herbs make all the difference here. Dried herbs in ranch taste like the stuff from a packet. We're better than that. - 4
Prep your vegetables
Halve the cherry tomatoes and set them on paper towels to drain off excess moisture; wet tomatoes will water down your salad. Dice your bell pepper into pieces roughly the same size as the pasta spirals. Dice the red onion fine so its bite distributes evenly. Slice the green onions thin, keeping the white and green parts separate for now.
- 5
Combine and dress the salad
Transfer your cooled pasta to the largest bowl you own. Add the cheddar cubes, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion, white parts of the green onions, and three-quarters of the chopped bacon. Pour the dressing over everything and fold gently with a large spatula until every spiral is coated. The pasta should be glossy and generous with dressing. Add more if it looks dry.
- 6
Chill and finish
Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least one hour, preferably two. The pasta will absorb some dressing as it sits, so taste again before serving and add more salt or a splash of buttermilk if needed. Transfer to your serving bowl, scatter the remaining bacon and green onion tops across the surface, and bring it to the table with pride. This is the dish that makes you the star of the potluck.
Chef Tips
- •Make the dressing a day ahead and refrigerate. The flavors marry overnight and become more complex. Thin it with a splash of buttermilk before tossing if it thickens too much.
- •Cube the cheddar yourself from a block. Pre-shredded cheese is coated with anti-caking agents that prevent it from absorbing the dressing properly.
- •If you have bacon fat saved in your refrigerator (and you should), whisk a tablespoon into the dressing for an extra layer of smoky richness.
- •For a crowd, this recipe doubles beautifully. Just make sure your bowl is big enough. Cramped pasta salad is hard to toss evenly.
- •The salad is best served the same day, but it holds well refrigerated for up to three days. Just stir in a little extra buttermilk to loosen the dressing before serving.
Advance Preparation
- •Dressing can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated in a sealed container.
- •Bacon can be cooked and chopped the day before. Store refrigerated in an airtight container.
- •Complete salad can be assembled up to 4 hours before serving. Hold back the final bacon and green onion garnish until just before serving for the best texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 185g)
Calories
490 calories
Total Fat
34 g
Saturated Fat
9 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
23 g
Cholesterol
46 mg
Sodium
590 mg
Total Carbohydrates
32 g
Dietary Fiber
2 g
Sugars
2 g
Protein
15 g
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