This pasta salad may be easy to make, but it really delivers when it comes to flavor! You’ve got the tangy and creamy ranch sauce, smokiness from the bacon and a dash of fresh zest from the veggies. The protein from the chicken really makes this a hearty side dish, and it can even be a quick leftover lunch meal!

Whenever I have a BBQ gathering coming up, or I need to make a potluck dish for work, this is one of my go-to recipes. If you have a busy schedule, you can make it ahead of time and leave it the refrigerator overnight. It can be served warmed up or at room temperature, either way its delicious!

Once you’ve got all the ingredients purchased, prep work for this recipe just requires chopping up the veggies, cubing the chicken and mixing up the sauces. Next it’s time to cook the pasta and bacon, chop the bacon, and then mix it all up. If you’re working diligently, you can make this recipe in under 30 minutes, and it yields a large amount of pasta salad to feed a crowd.

Ideal Main Dishes to Serve with This Pasta Salad Recipe

The flavors in this pasta salad recipe are pretty universal and pair well with all kinds of classic American barbecue and comfort foods.

You could easily make this a side dish to the below main dishes:

Build-Your-Own Burger Bar
Hot Dogs
BBQ Ribs
Chicken Wings
Kebab
Pizza

Ingredients List:

1 pound of bowtie pasta
1 tablespoon of butter
1/2 a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken - cut into small cubes
5 strips of bacon - cooked and diced
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup diced onions
1/2 cup diced cherry tomatoes
1 celery stock thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste

*This recipe yields a very large bowl of pasta salad. You should expect that you’ll likely have leftovers, which make for a great second day meal.

Cooking Directions:

Minutes total time: 25 Minutes

Step 1: Prep Your Vegetables

Cut up your onion, cherry tomatoes and celery into small cubes. Set aside.

Step 2: Prep Your Chicken

Pull large strips of meat off the rotisserie chicken and cut them into half inch cubes. Set aside.

Step 3: Mix Your Sauce

In a medium size bowl mix the sour cream and ranch dressing. Set aside.

Step 4: Cook Your Pasta

Boil a large pot of water and cook the bowtie pasta according to the package instructions. I like to make it a little bit al dente so that it’s not slimy or mushy.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain out all the water. Add one tablespoon of butter and stir until the butter completely melts and the noodles are coated.

Step 5: Cook the Bacon

In a frying pan cook the bacon strips until they are crispy. After they are thoroughly cooked, lay them on a paper towel to absorb all the extra grease. Once they’ve completely cooled down, cut them into small pieces.

Step 6: Mix It All Together

Put your cooked pasta into a large bowl and mix in your sour cream and ranch sauce. Stir until all the sauce until it is evenly distributed and all the pasta is coated. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Mix in your cut veggies, chicken and bacon. Mix together until each serving gets an even amount of each ingredient. Serve warm or at room temperature.

*Make ahead side dish - Holds up well in the refrigerator to serve the next day.