The Best Copycat Ruby Tuesday Pasta Salad Recipe (2024)

ByLeslie KiszkaPostedApr 18, 2019Apr 12, 2023UpdatedApr 12, 2023

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My homemade, copycat version of Ruby Tuesday's pasta salad – rotini pasta, diced ham, peas and green peppers make for the perfect side dish for a summer party! Don't forget to bring a pitcher of raspberry rosé sangria and the ingredients for some grilled peaches, too.

Emily said: “I’m so excited for this!! My main craving during this pregnancy was Ruby Tuesday's pasta salad. And now I have it without leaving my house. It’s SPOT ON. I can’t believe it. Thank you! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“

Key Ingredients

You only need 8 ingredients, most of which you might have hanging around the house anyway:

• Rotini pasta – You don't have to use roniti, but it gets you closest to “the real thing”. You could try it with another “short” pasta shape like fusilli, penne, cavatappi, or elbow macaroni. Nooks and crannies are your friends! Just make sure you’re using dried pasta instead of fresh – it holds up better to pasta salads.
• Ranch dressing – Overall, I don't think the brand you use really matter, but I always use Hidden Valley Ranch because I prefer its flavor and texture. I use bottled, pre-made ranch dressing but you can certainly make your own with a packet of ranch seasoning.
• Mayonnaise – The same goes for the mayo – I just always use Hellmans Real Mayonnaise.
• Green bell pepper – Add a satisfying crunch!
• Ham – I always buy packages of Boar's Head Boneless Ham Steaks and then dice them. An 8-ounce package is about 2 cups of diced ham. But if you happened to have a freshly baked ham, you can absolutely use that!
• Frozen peas – Yep, frozen! Don't use canned green peas as they'll have too much moisture and could end up smooshy.
• Salt and pepper – While I believe every recipe is a “salt and pepper to taste” situation, I actually do give you specific measurements as I find those to be the right balance for this quantity of pasta salad.

How to make the best ham and pea pasta salad

1. Prep pasta: Cook pasta according to package directions, drain, and rinse with cold water. Set aside until completely cooled.
2. Prep the dressing: In a very large bowl, combine ranch dressing, mayonnaise, salt and pepper.
3. Add the rest: Add green pepper, ham, peas and stir to combine. Add pasta and stir again to combine.
4. Chill out: Cover bowl and place in refrigerator to chill completely.
5. Serve cold and enjoy!

Tips for making the best pasta salad

• Make sure you’re salting the water you’re cooking the pasta in.For 1 pound of pasta (like we’re using in this recipe), add at least 1/2 Tablespoon of kosher salt.
• Cook the pasta to just a little past al dente.You don’t want it to be mushy from being cooked too long, nor do you want it to be too tough because you didn’t cook it long enough.
• Make sure you rinse the pasta in cold water after it's done cooking. Once you rinse it in cold water, it’s going to stop it from cooking further – so make sure to taste it before you pull it from the heat.
• Speaking of the cold water rinse, you don’t need to chill the pasta before dressing it.In fact, that would be doing yourself a disservice! You want to compile the salad with all the ingredients as soon as you can while it can still best absorb the flavors.

Does it matter what brands I use?

Overall, not really. Use whatever brands of ranch dressing and mayonnaise you prefer or have on hand.

For what it's worth, I usually use Hellmans Real Mayonnaise and Hidden Valley Ranch.

What kind of ham should I use?

I always buy packages of Boar's Head Boneless Ham Steaks and then dice them. An 8 ounce package is about 2 cups of diced ham.

But if you happened to have a freshly baked ham, you can absolutely use that!

Do I have to use rotini pasta?

To get as close to the real recipe, yes!

But outside of that, definitely not. You could always try it with another “short” pasta shape like fusilli, penne, cavatappi, or elbow macaroni. Nooks and crannies are your friends! Just make sure you’re using dried pasta instead of fresh – it holds up better to pasta salads.

Chilling is essential for the flavor

The hardest part about this recipe is waiting for it to chill before digging in. And waiting is THE WORST.

I've had many people comment that it didn't taste quite right when they taste-tested it before chilling it in the fridge – and you're all completely right. The flavors don't meld together to get it just right until after it's been in the fridge for at least an hour. The good news is that it's totally worth the wait!

Plus, it's so easy to make a giant batch to serve at a summer party and it can be prepared ahead of time so that you can worry about more important things the day of the party, like decorations, music and inflating pretzel-shaped pool floats.

… what? That's just me? Fine.

Storage

You can keep leftover pasta salad in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Just give it a quick stir before serving.

Variations of this easy ranch pasta salad

If you're not looking to keep this recipe as close to Ruby Tuesday's version as possible, there are all sorts of possibilities!

• Add a big squeeze of lemon juice to the dressing. It adds a lovely brightness to the whole salad.
• Add cheese. Because cheese makes just about everything better. You could stay on theme with the rest of the pasta salad and add chunks of cheddar cheese or swiss cheese, or you could try shredded or grated Parmesan cheese or even asiago cheese.
• Add sour cream. Some readers have told me they've added sour cream to make it a more creamy pasta salad!
• Add red onions. It will add a little flavor as well as some more crunch.
• Serve with or add chicken! I love serving this with grilled chicken, but it's also pretty fricking delicious with cubed or shredded chicken in the pasta itself.
• I've been known to add a hearty dash of garlic salt to mine because I like to emphasize the garlic flavor in the ranch dressing.

FAQs

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