By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 11, 2026
Serves 4
506 cal · 140 min
Retro Cold Pasta Salad with Ranch, Bacon and Vegetables
Recipe GLPR984ca36966f220
A classic cold pasta salad combining tender shell pasta with a creamy ranch-flavored dressing, crispy bacon bits, sweet peas, and shredded carrots. This nostalgic side dish is perfect for picnics, potlucks, and summer gatherings. Make it ahead and chill for at least 2 hours to let all the flavors meld beautifully together.
Save recipes you love
Create a free Grocery List Plus account to save recipes, rate them, and add every ingredient to your grocery list in one tap.
Ingredients
2 cups uncooked medium shell pasta
1 cup mayonnaise
1 packet (1 oz.) Hidden Valley Ranch Dip Mix
½ teaspoon onion powder
1 cup frozen baby peas, thawed
1 carrot, shredded
¼ cup bacon bits
Directions
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain in a colander and rinse thoroughly with cold water to cool completely. Gently shake the colander to remove excess water.
In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, ranch dip mix, onion powder, and thawed peas. Mix until all ingredients are evenly incorporated and set aside for a few minutes to allow the flavors to begin blending.
Once the pasta has cooled, add it to the dressing mixture. Gently fold the dressing and pasta together, stirring once or twice to coat all the pasta evenly without breaking the shell shapes.
Add the shredded carrot and bacon bits to the salad and fold gently to combine, distributing them throughout.
Transfer the pasta salad to a serving bowl or container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving to allow all flavors to meld. Can be served chilled or at room temperature if preferred.
Comments
This is a straightforward weeknight salad with every ingredient stocked at any Charlotte chain—bacon bits, ranch mix, and frozen peas are Harris Teeter and Food Lion staples. At roughly $1.25 per serving (pasta 30¢, mayo and ranch 40¢, frozen veg 30¢, bacon bits 25¢), it's genuine grocery-aisle economics. The 140-minute time is misleading: actual hands-on work is ten minutes, but chilling time dominates, making it a make-ahead dish that works for meal prep or a next-day lunch. Cold pasta salads don't reheat well, so this is a committed choice for a warm-weather cycle, not a flexible weeknight rescue.
Sign in or create a free account to add your review.
