CREAMY TORTELLINI SALAD WITH CHICKEN, BACON, AND RANCH DRESSING

Creamy Tortellini Salad with Chicken, Bacon, and Ranch Dressing image

When I moved to Oklahoma, I discovered a pizza called "chicken bacon ranch" and this pasta salad is a nod to the flavors in the pizza. If desired, marinate chicken in ranch dressing, and grill chicken to bump up the flavor.

Provided by thedailygourmet

Categories 100+ Pasta and Noodle Recipes Pasta by Shape Recipes

Time 50m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 9

Ingredients

1 (9 ounce) package refrigerated cheese tortellini
¼ cup ranch dressing
1 tablespoon milk
8 ounces cubed, cooked chicken
2 ½ ounces fresh mozzarella, diced
⅓ cup chopped cooked bacon
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste (optional)

Steps:

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil. Stir in tortellini and return to a boil. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the tortellini float to the top and the filling is hot, about 3 minutes. Run tortellini under cold water and drain. Store in the refrigerator until chilled, at least 30 minutes.
Stir ranch dressing and milk together in a large bowl. Add chilled pasta, cooked chicken, mozzarella, bacon, green onions, and parsley.
Toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 528.1 calories, Carbohydrate 31.5 g, Cholesterol 104.5 mg, Fat 29.7 g, Fiber 1.8 g, Protein 33.1 g, SaturatedFat 9.9 g, Sodium 881.1 mg, Sugar 2.6 g