Creamy Bacon Avocado Pasta Salad Recipe

Labor Day is coming up. To me, it represents the last hurrah of the summer. It represents Texas-style cookouts, friendship, and the beginning of fall weather. I have so many great memories of times with friends when we all pot luck our favorite dishes and have some laughs alongside the grill. Three-day weekends are so good for that! Such a care-free feeling! I have just the pasta dish for you to take to your next cookout, and it couldn’t be easier to make. It’s an easy pasta salad with ranch dressing and bacon, mixed with creamy ranch dressing and topped with fresh avocado and tomato. I call it Creamy Bacon Avocado Pasta Salad, and it is DELISH! If you’re looking for a pasta salad with bacon, recipes for pasta salads with ranch dressing, or a creamy avocado pasta salad, this recipe is the combo you are looking for! Keep reading for some cooking tips for making this creamy bacon pasta salad recipe or click the Jump to Recipe button above to go straight to the bacon ranch avocado pasta salad recipe at the end of this post.

I was financially compensated for this post. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.

The idea of “cookouts” have become something wholly different for me since we moved to Texas six years ago. They are an essentially Texan experience (don’t ever confuse a “cookout” with a “BBQ” like many of my Californian peers). Someone is always in charge of the grill, local brew is always on the menu, and every guest has a signature dish that we all look forward to. These experiences are one of the things that I think Texas does better than other states. Another thing Texas does better? Groceries and grocery prices! I remember being blown away my first several shopping trips at both the prices and the quality of the local brands. One of the local brands I fell immediately in love with is Skinner® pasta, the #1 pasta brand in Texas. You just can’t beat the price when combined with the quality. As quintessentially Texas as a cookout, everyone – family, friends, kids – loves Skinner.

For this three-day weekend cookout, I decided to make a pasta salad with bacon. You know at Fab Everyday I am all about easy and saving time, so this recipe is perfect for busy lives… with only five ingredients! I know; I had you at bacon. But this whole creamy pasta salad is to-die-for!

What you need to make this pasta salad with bacon

Here’s what you’ll need to make this bacon avocado pasta salad with ranch dressing:

• Skinner® Garden Style Twirls pasta (12 oz. package)
• 10 strips of bacon
• 1 cup three-cheese ranch dressing (if you can’t find three-cheese ranch dressing, you can substitute other ranch dressings with cheese)
• 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 2 avocadoes, cubed

How to make this creamy bacon pasta salad with avocado

Cook the pasta according to package directions, then drain and allow to cool to room temperature (cooling should take about 20 minutes).

While the pasta is cooking, fry bacon until crisp, but not burnt. Once the bacon has cooled enough to handle, crumble it and set it aside.

Now it’s time to put this avocado bacon pasta salad together! In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked, cooled pasta with the dressing until evenly mixed. The dressing is what makes this creamy bacon pasta salad recipe both so easy and so tasty!

Finally, mix in the reserved crumbled bacon, sliced tomatoes, and chopped avocados.

Serve and enjoy!

Don’t forget to pin this pasta salad with ranch dressing and bacon for later; you never know when you’ll need this quick and easy recipe! Not just for a holiday cookout; it’s perfect for any pot luck, a weekend lunch, or even a quick side dish for any meal.

Is there a combo more delicious than bacon, avocado, and ranch?

Here’s the Creamy Bacon Avocado Pasta Salad recipe! I can’t wait to see what you think, so please leave a review when you try it!