Description
Creamy Ranch Pea Pasta Salad is a delightful dish bursting with flavor. With sweet peas, cheddar cheese, and ranch dressing, it’s a simple, crowd-pleasing favorite ideal for any gathering or quick meal.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 cups frozen sweet peas, thawed and drained
- 4 cups small sea shell pasta, cooked
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 package (0.4 ounces) dry restaurant-style ranch dressing mix
- 1/4 cup sunflower kernels
- 1/4 cup diced celery
Instructions
- Place the thawed peas in a large mixing bowl.
- Cook the shell pasta in boiling salted water for about 12 minutes until tender, then drain and rinse it with cold water.
- Combine the cold peas and cold pasta in a large bowl.
- Add the shredded cheddar cheese to the bowl and mix.
- In another bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder, yellow mustard, and the dry ranch dressing mix.
- Pour the dressing over the peas, pasta, and cheese mixture, gently stirring until everything is well combined.
- Fold in the sunflower kernels and diced celery for added crunch.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving to enhance the flavors.
Notes
For extra flavor, let the salad sit in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
Feel free to add in other vegetables such as bell peppers or carrots for more color and nutrition.
The salad can be made a day in advance for quick meal preparation.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 468
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 620mg
- Fat: 34g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 15mg