Crack Pasta Salad recipe – loaded with cheddar bacon and ranch. This stuff is seriously THE BEST! I could make a meal out of this pasta salad! Penne pasta, olive oil, buttermilk, mayonnaise, ranch dressing mix, bacon, cheddar cheese, and parsley. Makes a ton. Great for a potluck. Can easily half the recipe. We LOVE this easy and delicious side dish recipe!

bowl of crack pasta salad with text overlay

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Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad Recipe

This Crack Pasta Salad should come with a warning label. It is dangerously delicious!! Pasta tossed in a creamy ranch dressing, cheddar cheese, and bacon. SO good! I love to make a batch on Sunday night to eat during the week with lunch and dinner. I could honestly make a meal out of just this yummy pasta. It is that good! This has quickly become a family favorite. One bite and it is sure to become one of your favorite pasta salad recipes too!

What does CRACK mean?

If a recipe has crack in the title it means that it has cheddar, bacon, and ranch in the recipe. It all started with my Crack Dip way back in 2007. I made the dip for a Titans football game. Everyone went crazy over it. We couldn’t stop eating it and said it was like crack. The name stuck. The flavor combination is amazing. This asparagus is no exception.

How to Make Crack Pasta Salad

This pasta salad is super easy to make with only a few ingredients. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Boil pasta according to package directions for al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, mayonnaise, ranch seasoning mix, and buttermilk. Add cooked pasta, cooked chopped bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, and fresh parsley to the dressing mixture. Stir the pasta into the dressing to coat. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl and give it a good stir before serving.

Helpful Tips & Frequently Asked Questions

You can use any short pasta that you prefer. Penne, rotini pasta, bowtie, or cavatappi.
Here is our recipe for Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix: https://www.plainchicken.com/homemade-ranch-dressing-mix/
Use a good quality mayo such as Duke’s or Hellmann’s.
This is a great base recipe. Feel free to add some fresh vegetables to the pasta mixture. Broccoli, cherry tomatoes, peppers, green onions, peas, and black olives are all great.
Can Crack Pasta Salad be made in advance? Yes! I actually think this pasta salad tastes better the next day. Refrigerating the pasta overnight gives the flavors time to develop.
- The pasta salad will keep about 5 days in the refrigerator.
Add rotisserie chicken or chopped turkey to the pasta salad to turn this into a main dish.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

What to Serve with Cold Pasta Salad Recipe

We love this pasta with sandwiches, burgers, grilled chicken, steaks – anything! This recipe makes a lot of food. It is the perfect side dish for parties, cookouts, and potlucks. You can easily divide the recipe in half if you don’t need to feed a crowd. Whip up a big batch ASAP! You won’t be disappointed!

Here are a few of our favorite recipes from the blog that go great with this easy side dish:

Chicken