Creamy Avocado Ranch Pasta Salad

A fully loaded pasta salad no one can stop eating. Featuring a creamy ranch dressing made with avocado instead of mayonnaise, big juicy chunks of seasoned chicken, crispy bacon, eggs, and cherry tomatoes with fabulous avocado flavor in every single bite. Stays green for days.

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

Total Time 45

Servings: 11 portions

Course: Lunch, Main Course, Salad

Cuisine: American, Western

Calories: 522

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

1 lb spiral pasta or penne, bow ties, or rigatoni
1 tbsp cooking or kosher salt for pasta water
1.33 cup avocado flesh smushed into measuring cup, approximately 1.5 avocados
0.5 cup buttermilk substitute equal parts plain yogurt and milk
0.33 cup whole egg mayonnaise Kewpie works well; substitute sour cream or yogurt
3 tbsp lemon juice substitute cider vinegar
1.5 garlic cloves finely grated or minced
0.5 tsp onion powder
1.25 tsp cooking salt for dressing
0.5 tsp black pepper for dressing
0.25 cup fresh dill finely chopped, for dressing
2 chicken breasts 8 oz each skinless boneless
0.5 tsp smoked paprika substitute regular paprika
0.5 tsp cooking salt for chicken seasoning
0.25 tsp black pepper for chicken seasoning
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
8 oz streaky bacon
6 large eggs fridge cold
8 oz cherry tomatoes halved
0.25 red onion very finely sliced
1 celery stalk finely sliced
0.25 cup fresh dill finely chopped, for salad

Equipment

Oven tray with wire rack
Meat mallet or rolling pin
Stick blender or food processor
large pot
Large mixing bowl

Method

Preheat oven to 430 degrees Fahrenheit, or 400 degrees fan-forced.
Place bacon strips on a wire rack set over a foil-lined baking tray. Bake for 20 minutes until deep golden and crispy. Let cool completely, then chop into roughly one-third-inch pieces.
Cover chicken breasts with baking paper and pound to an even half-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin.
Mix smoked paprika, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Rub chicken all over with olive oil, then coat both sides with the seasoning mix.
Bake chicken for 12 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 153 degrees Fahrenheit. Rest for 5 minutes, then slice into bite-sized pieces.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt. Cook pasta per package directions plus 2 extra minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water until fully cooled, and let drain well.
Bring a saucepan of water to a full boil. Lower in fridge-cold eggs with a slotted spoon. Reduce heat slightly and cook for exactly 9 minutes.
Transfer eggs to cold water. Let sit 5 minutes, then peel while submerged. Pat dry and cut into quarters.
Scoop avocado flesh into a measuring cup, smush to measure out 1 and one-third cups, and transfer to a tall container. Add buttermilk, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Blitz with a stick blender for 10 seconds until completely smooth.
Add fresh dill and blitz briefly for 3 to 4 seconds to combine. Taste and adjust salt or lemon as needed.
In a very large bowl, combine cooled pasta, dressing, chicken, bacon, cherry tomatoes, red onion, celery, and extra dill. Toss gently to coat everything evenly.
Add quartered eggs and fold in gently so they stay intact. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready.

Notes

Avocado: measure flesh by smushing into a measuring cup since avocados vary in size. Buttermilk substitute: equal parts plain yogurt and milk works perfectly. Mayonnaise: whole egg or Kewpie preferred; substitute sour cream or plain yogurt. Fresh dill strongly recommended; cilantro or chives are the best alternatives. Pasta tip: cook 2 minutes past package time since pasta firms up when cold. Storage: up to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge; stays green thanks to lemon juice.