Name: Light Parmesan Ranch Pasta Salad
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 16 servings
Ingredients: 1 jar Marzetti light ranch dressing; 1 c. Non-fat Plain Greek yogurt; 1 tsp. Garlic Powder; 1 tsp. Onion Powder; Dash of salt and pepper; 12 oz. Pasta preferably something with ridges to hold onto the sauce; 1 tub Cherry tomatoes halved; 2 Cucumbers chopped; 2 bunches Green onions diced the whole onion except the root; 1 c. Matchstick carrots; ¾ c. Shredded Parmesan or Romano cheese

Light Parmesan Ranch Pasta Salad

Light Parmesan Ranch Pasta Salad is an easy and simple side dish loaded with fresh vegetables and finished off with a Greek yogurt ranch dressing. Light Parmesan Ranch Pasta Salad I recently bought a bag of Ranch Campanelle pasta from The Pasta Man, our local gourmet pasta vendor. It is so exciting to be able Continue Reading

Prep20 minutes

Cook15 minutes

Total35 minutes

Serves16

Published 13 Feb 2019

Light Parmesan Ranch Pasta Salad is an easy and simple side dish loaded with fresh vegetables and finished off with a Greek yogurt ranch dressing.

Light Parmesan Ranch Pasta Salad

I recently bought a bag of Ranch Campanelle pasta from The Pasta Man, our local gourmet pasta vendor. It is so exciting to be able to say that, living in RURAL Minnesota! We don’t have many, if any other, LOCAL gourmet vendors that I am aware of. It is a campanelle shaped pasta speckled with ranch flavorings. You can make this Light Parmesan Ranch Pasta Salad with any pasta you would like, but I just liked the extra flavor and bite that the homemade pasta gave it. Whole wheat pasta is a great healthy option as well. So many people steer clear of whole grain pasta, but when it is coated in a flavorful and creamy sauce like this, they won’t even notice.

Pasta Salad with Ranch Dressing and Parmesan

I wanted to keep this salad simple and light but didn’t want to skimp on the flavors. I used a combination of a light ranch dressing and non-fat plain Greek yogurt to get the zing from a traditional dressing but make it go further without all the fat and calories. This came out so creamy and delicious you would never know it was made with healthier ingredients. This makes a really big batch, so it is a great side dish for a holiday meals and pot lucks.

We were recently celebrating a holiday at my in-laws and it was just a small gathering so I cut the recipe in half and made it with whole wheat pasta. It still made a nice big bowl and went over really well with some of the picky eaters! I didn’t tell them it was lightened up with Greek yogurt. 😉

What you need to make Light Parmesan Ranch Pasta Salad

Pasta

Light ranch dressing

Non-fat plain Greek yogurt

Garlic powder

Onion powder

Salt and pepper

Cherry tomatoes

Cucumbers

Light Parmesan Ranch Pasta Salad in serving bowl

Ingredients

1 jar Marzetti light ranch dressing

1 c. Non-fat Plain Greek yogurt

1 tsp. Garlic Powder

1 tsp. Onion Powder

Dash of salt and pepper

12 oz. Pasta preferably something with ridges to hold onto the sauce

1 tub Cherry tomatoes halved

2 Cucumbers chopped

2 bunches Green onions diced the whole onion except the root

1 c. Matchstick carrots

¾ c. Shredded Parmesan or Romano cheese

Steps

Begin by cooking the pasta to your liking; I prefer al dente for pasta salad. Once cooked, strain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Toss the pasta in a large bowl along with the cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, green onions, carrots and cheese. In a separate medium bowl, combine the Marzetti ranch, Greek yogurt, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Pour the mixture over the pasta and vegetables and fold together until well combined. Let chill for one hour and serve cold.