Crisp vegetables, seasoned pasta and a creamy dressing come together in a flavor-packed salad made easy with ranch and Italian dressing mixes.
JUMP TO RECIPERemember that Pampered Chef veggie pizza appetizer recipe? It had a cooked and cooled crescent roll crust with a slathering of ranch-seasoned cream cheese then it was topped with fresh chopped vegetables? I always loved that.
Well, it's exactly what came to mind when I had a pasta salad side from a local restaurant recently. The place was relatively dark and I didn't exactly study the salad before I put a forkful in my mouth. I was expecting the usual veggies and a vinaigrette so I was surprised to find a creamy dressing and bits of fresh broccoli and carrots.
I liked it. A lot. So much so that I was still thinking about it the next day.
I mean, who ever got excited about raw broccoli? There was just something about the crisp, fresh, tiny bits of it that paired so perfectly with the soft pasta and creamy dressing.
I don't remember which other veggies were in the salad I tasted but since something about it reminded me of that Pampered Chef classic, I decided to add carrots and red peppers to mine. Since I already had green broccoli, I decided to use red onion instead of the traditional scallions.
I was really conflicted about which way I wanted the dressing to lean. I definitely wanted some Ranch action but I was kinda leaning toward a creamy Italian too because these veggies combined with pasta just scream pasta primavera to me!
So I decided to employ the trick step that makes my recipe for The BEST Creamy Macaroni Salad so flavorful. I seasoned the cooked and rinsed pasta first before adding anything else so it could soak up a ton of flavor on its own.
I used a dry packet of Italian dressing mix to season the pasta then used a packet of ranch to make the dressing for the salad.
The combination of Italian and Ranch was perfect for this! I got that Pampered Chef recipe vibe I wanted and the primavera taste all in one. It was a gamble to combine the two but I'm so glad I did because this stuff is so good!
That's the thing folks may not realize about food bloggers... well, the real food bloggers (not the AI garbage mongers with fake photos, computer-generated word vomit and random recipes lifted out of God knows where). Sometimes we test new recipe ideas and they're not great.
I make stuff sometimes that I never share with y'all. I'll have an idea for a recipe, go buy all the ingredients, hash out a recipe, cook it and... it's just not worth sharing. Even if it looks amazing, if I'd never cook it again or serve it to someone else, I don't publish it.
So, when I do love it and I completely created it out of my own head, I get super excited! I mean, it's not art or music or anything, but I did create it and it feels so great when I get a little confirmation that, hey, I am good at this!
A FEW RECIPE NOTES
- You can make this ahead of time (up to 2 days) but DO NOT stir in the veggies until the day you're ready to serve (ideally no more than 4-6 hours before serving so the veggies stay crisp).
- When preparing ahead of time, the pasta may soak up the creamy dressing and look a bit dry. If this happens, simply stir in more mayo or a combination of mayo and prepared ranch dressing (creamy Italian dressing will work as well) before adding the veggies.
- This recipe is BEST when the veggies are diced/chopped pretty small (see photo below). These are sturdy vegetables so you don't want big chunks to dominate an otherwise perfect mouthful of pasta salad.
- Use whichever vegetables you enjoy best. I generally try to choose vegetables that can be cooked and can be found in Italian cuisine (like you might find in a traditional hot pasta primavera entree).
- Use a box grater for the carrots or dice very fine.
- I prefer the Zesty Italian dressing mix from Good Seasons over the regular Italian because it has less sugar. The regular mix is decidedly sweet which isn't great for creamy dressings.
- Any ranch dressing mix will work (buttermilk, restaurant-style, etc.). Just make sure you get the dressing mix and not the dip.
TWO OTHER PASTA SALADS I LOVE SO, SO MUCH!
I can't tell you which one of the three I like best because they're each very different! This recipe you're reading now and the two below are, hands-down, my absolute favorites and everyone ALWAYS asks for the recipe!
The BEST Creamy Macaroni Salad - A surprisingly flavorful recipe for creamy macaroni salad with a ton of flavor and one step that makes all the difference!
Overnight Pasta Salad - Absolutely amazing pasta salad made by mixing cooked pasta with prepared Italian dressing AND dry Italian dressing seasoning mix to marinate overnight.
Recipe for Creamy Primavera Pasta Salad
Creamy Primavera Pasta Salad
Crisp vegetables, seasoned pasta and a creamy dressing come together in a flavor-packed salad made easy with ranch and Italian dressing mixes.
Ingredients
- 1 lb penne pasta
- 1 red pepper
- 1/2 red onion
- 1.5 cups chopped broccoli
- 1 cup grated carrot
- 1 packet dry Italian dressing mix
- 1 packet dry ranch dressing mix
- 1 cup mayonnaise
Instructions
- Cook pasta in salted water per manufacturer's instructions then drain. Rinse in cold water then drain again.
- Add pasta to a large mixing bowl then stir in dry Italian dressing mix. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, dice red pepper and onion, chop broccoli and grate carrot. Aim for a very small dice/chop on all veggies.
- Combine mayo and dry ranch dressing in a separate bowl, stir well, then fold into pasta until well combined.
- Stir in veggies then refrigerate until ready to serve (see notes).
Notes
- Serve within 4-6 hours of combining ingredients to ensure the veggies stay crisp.
- You can make this ahead of time (up to 2 days) but DO NOT stir in the veggies until the day you're ready to serve (ideally no more than 4-6 hours before serving so the veggies stay crisp).
- When preparing ahead of time, the pasta may soak up the creamy dressing and look a bit dry. If this happens, simply stir in more mayo or a combination of mayo and prepared ranch dressing (creamy Italian dressing will work as well) before adding the veggies.
- Use a box grater for the carrots or dice very fine.
- I prefer the Zesty Italian dressing mix from Good Seasons over the regular Italian because it has less sugar. The regular mix is decidedly sweet which isn't great for creamy dressings.
- See more tips and suggestions in the article above the recipe card!
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Hi there! While I’m not able to respond to every comment, I try hard to answer any questions that haven’t been addressed in the post, recipe or in other comments.
I can tell you now 1) I have no idea if you can substitute Minute Rice or brown rice in my recipes because I’ve never used them and 2) If I know how to convert a recipe to a Crock Pot version, I will make a note about it (otherwise, I don’t know).
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