Broccoli Pasta Salad-Crunchy broccoli and peppers with tart cranberries and chewy pasta. It is SO GOOD!
In April of 2012 Jason and I visited our friends in Louisville. Who are ironically 10 minutes away from us now. Anyways, back in April of 2012 we fell in love with Louisville and had hopes of living here. Isn’t life funny how things work out?!? Okay, back to the pasta salad. While we were visiting, Kristen made this salad for dinner one night and I am surprised I didn’t sneak the leftovers back to Illinois with me because it is so delicious!
I thought about making this salad several times but never did. It wasn’t until we actually moved here in March that I had this salad again. Also made by Kristen. However, this time I made sure to get the recipe.
Broccoli pasta salad is a great side item for any of your summer cookouts. I have already made this salad twice this month and I am not tired of it, yet! I’m not sure it’s possible for me to ever grow tired of this dish. All the different flavors and textures combine together so beautifully to create a pasta dish that you will want to keep making over and over again.
- Approximately 7 sweet mini peppers (orange,yellow and red)
- 1 head broccoli
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 4 cups cooked bow-tie pasta (approximately 1/2 of a 12oz box, dried)
- 3/4 cup to 1 cup of Three Cheese Ranch Dressing...
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Slivered almonds (optional)
- Cook pasta until Al dente and rinse in warm water
- Dice peppers
- Chop broccoli
- Add peppers, broccoli,cranberries and pasta
- Pour dressing over ingredients
- Cover and refrigerate at least two hours
- More dressing may need to be poured over before serving
- This salad will keep for two days in the refrigerator, tightly sealed. More dressing may need to be used after the first day since the pasta will soak up much of the dressing. I usually buy two bottles so I have plenty, if needed.
- You can buy the dressing here..http://amzn.to/2qBFV4C
I can’t buy the three cheese ranch dressing (I currently live in Germany) i do have ranch packets. Is there a way to make a substitute? I’ve never had this new dressing. It sounds delicious!
Millie, You could use regular ranch in place of the three cheese ranch. It will alter the taste, though. I believe you can make regular Ranch using the packets. If you try it let me know how it is. I hope you can find the three cheese Ranch dressing soon cause it is a yummy dish!
I want to make this salad this weekend and have looked in several stores in my area, no one has 3cheese ranch.
I live in Illinois, what grocery store do you purchase it from?
What are the 3 cheeses maybe I can just add those for the flavor.
Hi, Dorine! I have had trouble finding it, too! The only place I’ve had luck is my Kroger and it’s the Kroger brand of dressing. I hope that helps! 🙂 I really don’t know what the cheeses are. If you have to use regular Ranch dressing then I’d definitely add in some cheddar.
I made this salad tonight for supper (Yes, I’m Southern. ). I put my little spin on it by omitting the slivered almonds and adding real bacon pieces. It was delicious!
Bacon, I should of thought of that. I made this tonight and my mind kept thinking the orange peppers were going to be cheese. I have always grown up on cold salads having diced cheese in it some how. Next time I make it I might dice up cheese.
Can you use the Kroger Three Cheese Ranch dressing instead of the Kraft brand?
You sure can. I have tried multiple types of ranch and they all affect the taste. I’d try different ones and see which one you like the best!
Hi I wrote the first lady from Germany a recipe for ranch dressings it was leanthy but you could ask her to forward s it to you
The three cheeses are Parmesan, Romano and Cheddar.
Hello I chef in a deli in nz..I want to make this salad but don’t want to use a commercial three cheese dressing want to make my own found this recipe …1/2 cup light mayo.1clove garlic minced.1/4 cup parsley minced..1/4 cup dill minced.1/2 lemon juiced..2Tbsp parmesan grated..4 ads Chedder finely grated.2Tbsp romano finely grated. ( romano is another hard cheese very simallar to parmesan and is used in place of parmesan in some cases if can’t get romano try adding a little more parmesan and a little feta as romano is a ferm but salty cheese…
Thank you for sharing this Allison. I was wanting a homemade dressing to potentially add 🙂
How much is 4 ads chedder?
Thank you for homemade dressing. Worked great!!
Thanks for posting your dressing recipe…. going to make it for Halloween party this weekend at our Italian Club….. sounds delish!! When I can make homemade I do!! Thanks again, annette
Approximately How many servings does this recipe yield ? Thank you!
approximately 4-6. 🙂
I tried this easy and delicious pasta salad this past weekend and it was a hit! I found the 3 cheese ranch dressing at Target and used the entire bottle as the bow tie pasta really soaked up the dressing. I also added some cubes of white and yellow cheddar cheese for more cheesy flavor. The result was a creamy pasta salad with colorful cranberries and peppers, with the added crunch from the slivered almonds which I added just prior to serving. Great recipe to take to a party, I made the night before, used the 1 cup dressing as indicated in the recipe, then added more the next morning. Yum!
I also could not find the three cheese ranch so used the Southwest Ranch. Still yummy!
Hi, can you please recommend on a diffrent home made souce for this salad? Cant have these souces
I used Chili Ranch dressing and added cooked chopped bacon. It was wonderful.
This recipe sounds delicious! I’ll have to give it a try!
BTW… Just an FYI…For those who can’t find the Three Cheese Ranch Dressing locally, I Googled THREE CHEESE RANCH DRESSING and came up with numerous websites where it can be ordered and shipped to your home!
Curious about how much this recipe serves? Thanks!
Approximately four adults. There will probably be leftovers. 🙂
I have made this recipe twice in the last month and I am absolutely in love with it!! I couldn’t find Kraft Three Cheese Ranch dressing so I just used their regular Ranch with buttermilk and added some three cheese Parmesan. Oh my goodness, I can’t get enough of this salad. Thank you for posting this recipe!
Oops first time to leave any sort of reply didn’t know they posted for all to see .lol
I added cheese and bacon to this salad. I could eat this forever! SO DELICIOUS!
I also tried to find the dressing in multiple stores (I live in Boston, MA). I will have to find some other kind of dressing but it looks good
Would like to take at a potluck party, but they dont have refrigeration. Will it be safe to eat if it sits out for about 2 hrs.
I really can’t answer that. The pasta salad is meant to be a cold pasta salad though. 🙂
Have you ever doubled this recipe, would you need 14 peppers? I am going to a party with 30 people and would like to bring it.
I have never doubled it but I think you could do so easily. It’s so hard to mess up. 14 mini peppers should be plenty. Enjoy!
Hello. I tried this for dinner yesterday and it was a bit. Even kids loved it. I couldn’t find three cheese ranch here in India, so I used ranch with little olive based mayo, oregano and some grounded pepper..
Thanks a lot for the recipe..
Yay! So glad you all enjoyed it and that you were able to find something else to use.
Hi, first time cook over here.
So you cook or steam the broccoli and peppers before hand?
Thanks
You eat them raw so no cooking or streaming.
Love it! Delish! Shared in a post over on my blog!
I just made this pasta salad for a bbq this afternoon. I decided not to use the three cheee ranch because it’s so high in fat, and otherwise this would be a nice light salad. I saw an avocado green goddess yogurt (Boathouse Farms) and used that instead. Still a great flavor with 80% less fat and half the sodium. Next time I may add some freshly grated Parmesan. Thanks for giving me a great base of ingredients for my search for a new pasta salad. Oh, and I also blanched the broccoli so it would be a bright green.
I live in Denver NC and can’t find the three cheese ranch dressing, what else can I use?