Thursday, January 9, 2014

Creamy Italian Ranch Pasta Salad

Creamy Italian ranch pasta salad is hands down the most requested pasta salad recipe in our house. This is the perfect side dish for a barbecue.

pasta salad with ranch dressing

This is our favorite pasta salad. I make huge batches and save for lunches throughout the week.

Creamy Italian Ranch Pasta Salad

This is for a large bowl. Reduce as needed.

1 lb of tri colored pasta
1 can of olives (sometimes I mix green and black)
1 pack of grape tomatoes
fresh herbs or dried if you don't have them on hand (I use parsley and basil)
1 cup of crumbled feta or cheese of your choice
some fresh chives (I grow them all year but you can use a bit of green onion)
1 diced cucumber
small can of garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
A generous squirt of Ranch dressing (or try my homemade Ranch recipe)
Red wine vinegar and olive oil splashed in there (love my technical terms?)
salt and pepper to taste

Mix well and keep in fridge for a couple hours at least before serving.
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16 comments:

  1. sounds yummy! I'm always looking for new pasta salad recipes to try.

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  2. That looks so pretty and tasty Elaine!! Love those tomato servers too!
    xo Kris

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  3. I am totally in the mood for this, I'm not kidding I'm going to the store this afternoon and buy the ingredients - looks so yummy!

    Mary

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  4. I make something similar to this with oil and vinegar and lots more veggies - so good. I want to try yours with the Russian dressing - that sounds fab!

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  5. Pinned it! I like that it has garbanzo beans in it! :D

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  6. Sounds good for the summer!

    Elaine, email me your address. I want to send you something, OK?

    Judy

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  7. ..Happy New Year, Elaine...
    Ypur salad looks and sounds wonderful.....
    Hugs and Blessings.... Barb xx

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  8. I love pasta salads, especially in the summer. I make my own salad dressing because of the artificial ingredients in bottled dressings...I don't currently have a recipe for homemade ranch, but I'm sure I can find one online. Thanks for the recipe!

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  9. Yep- Love those technical terms! That sounds delicious! xo Diana

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  10. just pinned it
    because it looks
    totally delectable!

    thanks for sharing
    at Fridays Unfolded!

    Alison
    Nancherrow

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  11. If you added some chicken you'd have some protein too...

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  12. If you added some chicken you'd have some protein too...

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  13. Not a huge fan of garbanzos, any suggestions for substitutions? Everything else about the recipe looks wonderful! Thx

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  14. Sure Maurina how about canned cannellini beans or even the edamame beans. Rinsed of course.

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