Cucumber Ranch Pasta

I am so excited to be working with Hidden Valley Ranch and Data Rank to bring you this recipe!

I love family barbecues, especially if they are holiday oriented. Independence Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day…you get the idea. The star of the barbecue is usually the meat and that always seems to be what people look forward to the most. That is not true for me, though. I spent many years as a strict vegetarian and still do not eat much meat. My favorite barbecue friendly food is a flavorful cold pasta dish. One of my least favorite food experiences is seeing a beautiful pasta dish, going in for the kill, and being disappointed by a bland or repulsive flavor. Today I am sharing a pasta dish made with Hidden Valley Cucumber Ranch that will never leave you feeling disappointed. The colorful flavor of this dish will please the whole family. Try it out this weekend.

Cucumber Ranch Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) box Rotini pasta
• 1 cup Hidden Valley Cucumber Ranch Salad Dressing
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium cucumber, sliced thin
• 1 cup bited-sized broccoli florets
• 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 2 green onions chopped
• 1 cup julienned carrots

Directions

1. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. While pasta is cooking, prep the vegetables.
2. Drain the pasta and mix the broccoli in with the still warm pasta. Set aside to cool.
3. In a small bowl, whisk the dressing and olive oil together.
4. In a large bowl, add the cooked pasta and remaining ingredients.
5. Mix everything together until well coated.
6. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for  at least 1 hour before serving.

 Tips

Adding the broccoli in with the warm pasta instead of with the other ingredients softens the broccoli, but does not cook it.

Chopping veggies can be time consuming, so do your prep work beforehand if you can.

Do not skimp on the ranch or the flavor will suffer. Use a higher quality ranch like Hidden Valley Ranch. We picked ours up at Walmart. Here is a coupon for $1.00 off! There are many flavored ranches available that would go well in this dish so do not be afraid to experiment a little. Hidden Valley’s new flavors include Avocado Ranch, Cucumber Ranch, Cucumber Ranch (Light), Sweet Chili, and Roasted Garlic.

Most people love ranch so this dish will be a hit at barbecues and potlucks. Give it a try!