A copycat recipe for Ruby Tuesday Pasta Salad just like they serve on their salad bar! Easy to make with just a few ingredients.
This is one of my most requested recipes whenever we have get-togethers. Doesn’t matter if it’s a summer BBQ, tailgate, or game day in the man cave, this creamy ranch pasta salad is the first empty dish.
Ingredients
Ham
Using pre-diced ham purchased from the store shaves a bit of time off of the preparation. Diced and cubed ham are available at most major grocery stores and I find that it is actually cheaper than other types of ham.
In addition, the pieces of meat are pretty even.
We use this ham for omelets, pasta salads, and recipes that call for leftover ham.
Pasta
Rotini is my preferred pasta for this salad, It holds more dressing than standard elbow macaroni. Any shaped pasta would work for this recipe
Dry Ranch Mix Substitute
Ranch dressing out of a bottle can be used as a substitute for the buttermilk, the dry ranch dressing, and all but 1/2 cup of the mayonnaise.
I prefer the flavor of ranch dressing when I have made it myself with Hidden Valley Ranch dry mix. I suspect most restaurants are doing the same. It’s cheaper this way.
I buy it in the 16-ounce jar size since I use it a lot. Especially during the holidays and tailgate season when I seem to be cranking out spicy pretzels and spiced crackers for entertaining
Directions
- Gather up your ingredients.
- Place the peas in a bowl and allow them to start to thaw while the pasta is cooking.
- Cook the pasta until al dente.
- Drain the pasta in a colander and rinse under cold water until the pasta cooled. Photo 1
- While the pasta is cooling, drain your diced ham on paper towels or a low-lint kitchen towel. Photo 2
- Allow pasta to drain for about 30 minutes.
- Allow pasta to drain for about 30 minutes.
- Add everything except cooked pasta to a bowl. Photo 3
- Stir until well combined and the peas have mostly thawed. Photo 4
- Add the cooled pasta and dressing into a large bowl. Photo 5
- Stir until all the pasta is completely coated with dressing. Photo 6
- Serve immediately, or refrigerate for serving later.
Pro Tips
Make sure to test your pasta before draining off your hot water. Sometimes the opinion at a macaroni factory is different from mine.
Rotini, penne, and bowties all seem to need more than an extra minute, so test at every minute until it’s done.
Rinse the pasta in cold water once it has been drained. Rinse until it is completely cooled.
Rinsing pasta serves 2 purposes. It stops the cooking process and it rinses away the extra starch.
I know you are not supposed to rinse pasta.
Starch has its place in pasta dishes, just not macaroni and pasta salad.
The key to moist and creamy pasta salad is to get rid of all that starch.
The next key is to make sure the pasta is completely cooled. Hot and warm pasta will absorb the liquid.
While the pasta is cooling, drain the diced ham on paper towels to remove some of the salty liquid that the ham was packaged in.
All that extra liquid will make it sloppy and salty.
Even with removing all of the extra starch, you might find that your macaroni salad goes dry after sitting for some time.
It tastes great since all of that flavor got absorbed into the pasta, but it won’t be quite as creamy.
You can add a bit more buttermilk or mayonnaise to the salad. Or you can set some of the dressing aside and mix it in just before serving.
Additions
Cheddar cheese is not part of the original Ruby Tuesday pasta salad, but if you want to add it, about 1/2 of a cup should be plenty. But feel free to add as much as you want.
Some people add diced green peppers. If you want to add them I would recommend that you allow them to dry on paper towels for a bit before adding them to the salad.
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Ranch Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 ounces dry rotini pasta
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons mayonnaise not salad dressing
- 6 tablespoons buttermilk
- 1 1/2 tablespoons dry ranch dressing mix
- 1/2 teaspoon season salt
- 8 ounces diced ham patted with a paper towel to remove moisture
- 1 cup frozen green peas
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook rotini until it is just past al dente.
- Drain into a colander and rinse with cold water until pasta is cool.
- Set pasta aside and allow to dry for about 30 minutes.
- While pasta is cooking, combine mayonnaise, buttermilk, ranch dressing mix, and season salt in a large bowl and mix until combined.
- Add in frozen peas and stir. The peas will thaw a bit during mixing and will finish thawing while pasta cools.
- Add ham and cool, dry rotini and mix until well blended.
- Can be eaten immediately, but flavors will improve by placing into the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
Notes
- 1/2 cup diced green peppers and/or 2 cups of grated cheddar cheese can be added.
- 1 1/2 cups of Ranch dressing from a bottle, along with 1/2 cup of mayonnaise can be used as a replacement for the mayonnaise, buttermilk, and dry ranch dressing mix. The flavor will be a bit altered.
- Flavors improve with refrigeration.
Rebekah
Made this for a camping side!! Loved it! Something quick and tasty! Goes with everything and eat alone! Thanks for recipe!
Beth Mueller
Hi Rebekah!
Thanks for visiting again! I am so glad that you liked the recipe!
Cheers
Wendy
Made it tonight served with grilled salmon. I didn’t have cubed ham to add, but it was still good. Did you grow up in Winston-Salem, NC by chance?
Beth Mueller
Hi Wendy!
I’m glad you liked it! I’ve never lived in North Carolina. I grew up in Kankakee, Illinois, about 60 miles south of Chicago. I’ve lived in Florida, Mississippi, and now call Oklahoma home.
Cheers!
Heather Kasper
Hi Beth!
Can I make the dressing ahead of time and mix it together later. Like a day or 2?
Beth Mueller
Hi Heather!
The dressing will be fine in the refrigerator for up to a week, the same as homemade ranch dressing. It’s better to do it this way than to mix it all together ahead of time.
Enjoy!
MK
Hi! this recipe looks great! i worked at Ruby Tuesday’s in college and one thing i remember about this recipe is the company actually made it with turkey…. I can’t wait to try this! thanks so much for sharing!
Beth Mueller
Hi MK!
I would love to hear your thoughts about it after you make it.
Cheers!
Pamela Carrington
I followed your recipe to a tee! It was delicious. Then I made a half recipe using the Ken’s buttermilk dressing, like the previous comment said the restaurant used. Thank goodness it was a half recipe, it was awful! PLEASE, people, stick to original recipe!
Beth Mueller
I’m sorry you didn’t have success with your second try. I know that ranch dressing can be hit or miss, but I’m so happy to hear that you liked the original! Thanks for sharing.
Pamela Carrington
Yes, I loved the original. It will be my go to for family get togethers! Thank you
JR
I worked at Ruby Tuesday for 6 years. I will share that the ranch that went into this dish was Ken’s brand ranch. Also, green bell pepper was always in the pasta as well.
Beth Mueller
Hi JR!
Thanks for sharing your insider information! I’ll give the Ken’s a try next time I make it.
Be Safe!
Stacey
I tried this recipe ti have with burgers and brats! It turned iut pretty awesome! I added onions to it and had to get a dried buttermilk as the store was out if buttermilk in the dairy section!! It was so creamy and I’m a ranch freak anyway! Never been to Ruby Tuesday but i would love this on a salad bar!! Thank you so much for sharing!!☺
Beth Mueller
Hi Stacey!
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a review! I’m really glad to hear you liked it! It’s one of my favorite pasta salads.
Cheers!
Rose Melamed
Tastes nothing like Ruby Tuesday’s pasta salad. The ranch dressing overwhelms all the other ingredients. You taste only the ranch dressing.
Beth Mueller
Hi Rose!
I’m sorry you didn’t like it. My guests ask for more dressing sometimes.
Cheers!
Nancy
I substituted cashews for the peas. Not exactly the same it delicious!
Beth Mueller
Hi Nancy!
I bet cashews were pretty tasty in this!
Cheers!
Briana
What if I don’t have buttermilk?
Beth Mueller
Hi Brianna!
Add Briana! You could use regular milk or you can add a teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar to the salad.
Hope this helps!
FSethman
Sounds like a great copycat!! I cannot wait to make this soon. Thx for posting
Catherine L Vaillancourt
I did try this and is close but I think I’m off on something, I used Cains mayonnaise and that’s the taste that stood out. What mayonnaise brand so you suggest?
Beth Mueller
Hi Catherine!
Hellman’s is my mayonnaise of choice. Hope this helps.
Cheers!
Amanda
Sounds yummy. Can I use canned peas instead of frozen?!
Beth Mueller
Hi Amanda!
I don’t see why not if the peas are drained really well. They will just be a bit mushy compared to lightly cooked frozen peas.
Cheers!
Anonymous
Where can I find your Italian pasta salad recipe? Please
Beth Mueller
I’m sorry, we don’t currently have an Italian pasta salad available. We have an Italian Dressing recipe, a macaroni salad recipe, and the ranch pasta salad recipe like Ruby Tuesday.
Nelly
Wow…. so simple and not to mention tasted great. I did use Italian seasoning as I love it. I just made a post on my blog but mine had mushrooms.
Beth Mueller
Hi Nelly!
Thanks for stopping by! I just looked at your Italian Pasta Salad and it looks amazing! I might need to make that before summer is over!
Cheers!
Susantraylor
If I use bottle ranch dressing, what would the measurements be?Sus
Beth Mueller
Hi Susan!
Thanks for stopping by! I would start with 1 1/2 cups of salad dressing. My favorite bottle ranch dressing is made by Ken’s, use the buttermilk version! I would still add the seasoning salt too.
Cheers!
heather mcardle
how much ranch if i use from the bottle?
Beth Mueller
Hi Heather!
Start with 1 1/2 cups and add more if needed.
Hope this helps!
Sabrina
Made this today and it came out really good ,our ruby Tuesday closed near me and im pregnant and craving their pasta saladdefinitely close to the real thing! Thank you!
Beth Mueller
Hi Sabrina!
Thanks for stopping by and leaving us a 5-star review!
I’m glad the recipe cured your craving!!
Kelly Mahan
This looks nothing like a salad, but I’m still curious to try the recipe ’cause it sure looks delicious!
Beth
Hi Kelly!
Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment!
It is delicious! We have eaten more than our fair share this summer!
Mary
Do I need to lessen any of the other ingredients if I omit the ham?
Don’t eat much meat, so prefer not to have it
Beth Mueller
Hi Mary!
You can omit the ham without changing the other ingredients.
Hope this helps!