In our house, potluck salads have always been a gender divide situation. The girls want classic Cobb salad - crisp lettuce, eggs, bacon, blue cheese, the whole elegant spread. The boys want something hearty enough to qualify as an actual meal. Pasta. Potatoes. Something creamy enough to hold its own next to a burger.

Enter hubs.

Somehow, he looked at a classic Cobb salad and thought... what if we just added pasta? And honestly? Genius. Pure, accidental genius! All the flavors you love about a traditional Cobb - bowtie pasta tossed in ranch dressing, crispy bacon, hard-boiled eggs, grape tomatoes, red onion, creamy avocado, and blue cheese crumbles. It's the salad that finally united our family table, and it shows up at every cookout, potluck, and summer dinner from May through September.

The girls still get their Cobb. The boys get their pasta. Everybody wins!

WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS RECIPE

This Cobb Pasta Salad is hearty enough to be a main dish and impressive enough to be the star of any potluck spread. It's got all the bold, classic Cobb flavors you already love - just tossed with bowtie pasta and ranch dressing for a satisfying twist that feeds a crowd without breaking the bank. Make it ahead, chill it, and show up like a hero!

INGREDIENTS

• 16 oz box bowtie pasta, cooked al dente
• ¾ cup ranch dressing
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• ½ cup finely diced red onion
• ¼ cup cooked bacon, crumbled
• ⅓ cup blue cheese crumbles
• 3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
• 1 avocado, diced

TOOLS YOU'LL NEED

• Large pot
• Small pot
• Colander
• Large mixing bowl
• Cutting board and knife
• Measuring cups
• Silicone spoon

LET'S MAKE IT

Fill a small pot halfway with water and bring to a boil. Add your eggs and boil for 10 minutes over high heat. Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let them rest for another 10 minutes. Rinse under cold water and peel. Set aside.

Fill a large pot halfway with water and bring to a boil. Cook your bowtie pasta until al dente - you want a little bite left, not mush. Pour into a colander, rinse under cool water, and drain well. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with the ranch dressing while the pasta is still slightly warm so it soaks right in.

Halve your grape tomatoes, dice the red onion, chop the hard-boiled eggs, and dice the avocado.

Add the tomatoes, red onion, bacon, blue cheese crumbles, chopped eggs, and avocado to the pasta bowl. Toss everything together gently until well combined.

Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. This gives the flavors time to meld and the pasta time to soak up all that ranchy goodness.

TARA'S TIPS

• Cook pasta al dente. Overcooked pasta turns mushy after chilling. Pull it just before it's fully done - it'll continue to absorb the dressing in the fridge.
• Add avocado right before serving if you're making this a day ahead. Avocado browns over time, so toss it in fresh when you're ready to serve for the prettiest presentation.
• Don't skimp on the ranch. The pasta will absorb a lot of it as it chills. If it looks a little dry after an hour, add another splash of dressing and toss before serving.
• Bacon shortcut. Use pre-cooked bacon crumbles from the salad topping aisle - same flavor, zero cleanup.
• Blue cheese not your thing? Swap it for feta or just leave it out entirely. The salad is still delicious without it.

SERVING IDEAS

• Serve as a main dish for a casual summer lunch or weeknight dinner
• Bring it to a potluck in a big white bowl and watch it disappear
• Pairs perfectly alongside grilled chicken, burgers, or anything off the backyard grill
• Serve in individual cups for a fun party presentation

STORAGE

Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Give it a stir before serving and add a little extra ranch dressing if it's absorbed too much. If you plan to make it ahead, hold off on adding the avocado until just before serving.

Yield: 16

Cobb Pasta Salad

Print

Classic Cobb salad meets hearty pasta salad in this crowd-pleasing summer dish. Bowtie pasta tossed in ranch dressing with bacon, hard-boiled eggs, grape tomatoes, avocado, and blue cheese!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 27 minutes

Ingredients

• 16 oz box bowtie pasta, cooked al dente
• ¾ cup ranch dressing
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• ½ cup finely diced red onion
• ¼ cup cooked bacon, crumbled
• ⅓ cup blue cheese crumbles
• 3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
• 1 avocado, diced

Instructions

1. Boil your eggs for 10 minutes over high heat in a pot half full of water. Turn off heat, cover and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Rinse with cold water, then peel.
2. Fill a large pot halfway with water, and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Pour into a colander in the sink and rinse under cool water. Drain and place in a large bowl. Toss with ranch dressing
3. Cut up the tomatoes, onion, eggs, and avocado.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl of pasta and toss to coat.
5. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or until ready to serve.

Notes

Storage: refrigerate

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 163Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 245mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 6g

IF YOU LOVED THIS, YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

• Cowboy Pasta Salad - A New Classic
• Old Fashioned Pineapple Fluff Salad
• Blueberry Cheesecake Parfait Cups

Cobb Pasta Salad Wrapup

Hubs doesn't ask for credit very often in the kitchen, but this one is all his. And honestly, he earned it. I hope this Cobb Pasta Salad becomes a regular in your summer rotation too - it's the kind of recipe that makes everyone at the table happy, no matter which side of the salad debate they're on!