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Cobb pasta salad is the type of meal you can bring to a picnic, serve poolside, or make ahead and have it ready to go in the fridge!
The Best Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
If summer were a food, it would be this Cobb pasta salad. It's filling, has lots of protein, and the ingredients we all love that make any meal epic without costing you extra: bacon and avocado!
Sometimes I swap pasta for protein and build a tasty chicken Cobb salad, but on hot summer days, I've found this pasta version is everything I crave for -without turning on the oven.
Ingredients
You’ll build this epic salad with your favorite pasta, tomatoes, avocado, bacon, hard-boiled eggs, ham and turkey (one or both), and Cheddar cheese (Pepper Jack, Colby Jack, or White Cheddar are other great options). The dressing? Creamy Ranch is a classic, but this Cobb salad dressing is amazing too!
How to Make Cobb Pasta Salad
While the pasta cooks, chop up the other ingredients, boil the eggs if necessary, and cook the bacon. Toss it all together in a large bowl with the Ranch dressing and enjoy this Cobb pasta salad immediately or refrigerate it for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
Watch the video to see how it’s done!
Get more non-sandwich lunch ideas for adults here!
Variations
Recipes like this are a great chance to enjoy all your favorite salad toppings with pasta instead of lettuce. Here are a few ingredient combinations to try:
- California style: swap the deli cuts for grilled chicken, it will taste incredible with the bacon, avocado, and ranch.
- Italian style: swap out the ranch, cheddar, and deli cuts with pesto, chopped pepperoni, and Mozzarella. You’ll have no regrets.
- Black olives + red onion: would make a great addition to the veggies and toppings included in this recipe.
- Grilled shrimp + vinaigrette: grilled shrimp instead of deli cuts, and a light vinaigrette instead of ranch.
- Balsamic vinaigrette: if you prefer a tangier dressing for pasta salad, Balsamic is a classic option.
- Citrus vinaigrette: not so traditional, but the bright springy flavors would taste incredible with these pasta salad ingredients.
Can You Make Pasta Salad the Night Before
Yes! Making pasta salads the night before is a great way for the pasta and the other ingredients to soak up the flavors from the dressing. This is why pasta salad tastes even better the day after it’s made!
How to Store Pasta Salad
A large food storage container with a tight-fitting lid is my go-to choice for making this salad and refrigerating it for later. Sometimes, I divide it up into individual meal prep containers and have a ready-to-go meal I can bring to the office. Covering it with a loose layer of plastic wrap will expose it to the cold temps, eventually drying it out.
How to Keep Pasta Salad from Drying Out
Dry pasta salad is usually the result of not adding enough dressing or not rinsing out the pasta after cooking. By rinsing out the pasta, the surface will also absorb the dressing, instead of it falling to the bottom of the bowl. If your pasta salad is too dry, simply add a bit more dressing, give it a toss, and it should be ready to go.
Easy Cobb Pasta Salad Recipe with Bacon & Boiled Egg
Watch how it’s made:
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry macaroni pasta
- ½ cup grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 avocado, diced
- 4 slices bacon, cooked & crumbled
- 4 slices ham, chopped
- 4 slices turkey, chopped
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
- ½ cup cheddar cheese
- ½ cup Ranch dressing
Instructions
Cook the pasta:
- Cook the macaroni pasta according to the package directions.
Assemble the salad:
- To the pasta, add the grape tomatoes, bacon, ham, turkey, egg, and cheese. Drizzle with ranch dressing and toss to combine.
Serve & store:
- Serve immediately or refrigerate in a lidded container for up to 3 days.
Misti says
Recipe was delish. Curious, what brand of deli cuts do you use?
Laura Fuentes says
My grocery store roasts their own meats and then sells them cold in the deli section! so most of my “deli” roast beef, turkey, and chicken are sliced real meats. Ham is a bit different in which case I use a brand without nitrates since my daughter gets a reaction from them. One you can find in many places is Applegate.
Haley says
It’s quite Easy to make this considering you explained it so well. 2 favorite dishes in 1. Great blog
Laura Fuentes says
I’m glad you enjoyed this!