7 Layer Salad with Pasta
This 7 layer salad with pasta is a fresh twist on a classic! Pasta, crispy bacon, peas, eggs, tomatoes, and cheddar cheese, are layered and tossed with a creamy ranch dressing. It’s colorful, hearty, and easy to make ahead, making it the perfect dish for potlucks, BBQ’s, or holiday dinners. A simple, yet show stopping salad that always gets rave reviews!
Need another show-stopping salad? Don’t miss this 7 layer Christmas salad recipe and this gorgeous (and easy!) Christmas wreath salad!
Recipe Ingredients: 7 Layer Pasta Salad
For the dressing
For the salad
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Pasta: A small pasta like ditalini or macaroni work best.
Tomatoes: I like using cherry tomatoes because they tend to have the brightest, and most vibrant red color.
Cheese: Sharp cheddar cheese, shredded straight off the block tastes (and looks!) the best! Feel free to substitute another cheese but shred it straight from the block vs. buying it pre-packaged.
Peas: Partially thawed, frozen peas work best.
Ranch seasoning: Use your favorite ranch seasoning! We prefer Hidden Valley Dressing and Recipe Mix or Trader Joe’s ranch seasoning.
Yummy substitutions and additions: Swap the bacon for ham, turkey, or chicken breast. Want to add or swap layers? Try these colorful ideas: bell peppers, cucumbers, shredded carrots, black olives, broccoli florets, or croutons.
Casey’s Tips
- Measure with your heart: This is very much a measure with your heart-type recipe. Add more or less of whatever you like! The exact ingredient amounts will also depend on the side of your dish. For this recipe, I used a dish that was 8.5 inches across and 5 inches deep.
- Layering: Concentrate your ingredients on the outside of the bowl first. If needed, fill in the middle with extra pasta.
- Dressing on the side: Reserve a bit of dressing to serve on the side if anyone wants extra.
- Make ahead: This salad is a great make-ahead holiday side dish! For best results, prep the individual ingredients (chop veggies, cook bacon, boil eggs, make the dressing). Then, on the day of your event, simply take 5 minutes to assemble everything!
- Tossing the salad: Let guests toss the salad at the table right before eating (you want everyone to admire your gorgeous creation as long as possible!). I have found two long wooden spoons like these work best to toss a layered salad like this one.
- Storage: This salad is best eaten right away since it will most likely be tossed with the dressing. However, leftovers will stay fresh for a day or two stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
How to serve
Family gathering side dish: Whether it’s the holidays or Auntie Ann’s birthday I love making this salad to impress my guests! It’s goes great with grilled meats, or meals like a classic pasta dish or a nice roast.
Potluck or buffet: Want to be the STAR of your next potluck or work party? Show up with this gorgeous salad and impress them all!
Individual servings: If you really want to be fancy, you can layer this salad in pretty, individual glasses (or clear plastic cups) for on-the-go eating! I like this idea for a BBQ or outdoor event.
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Thank you! ~ Casey
7 Layer Salad with Pasta
Ingredients
For the salad (6 layers)
- 3 cups dry ditilini or macaroni pasta
- 12-16 oz. raw bacon, chopped into small pieces
- 1 1/2 – 2 cups frozen peas, thawed
- 6-8 hardboiled eggs, chopped or sliced
- 2 cups tomatoes, chopped I like using sliced cherry tomatoes
- 1-2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated off the block
For the dressing (7th layer)
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 1 oz. package Hidden Valley Salad Dressing and Seasoning Mix (about 4 tbsp.) about 4 tbsp.
- 2-3 tbsp. buttermilk or regular milk
Instructions
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until smooth. You can add a splash or two more of buttermilk/milk if you’d like the dressing a bit thinner, but remember, you want the dressing to be on the thicker side so it seals in all the ingredients! Pop the dressing in the fridge to allow the flavors to come together.
- Cook the bacon: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon pieces and cook 12-14 minutes until crisp. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside to cool.
- Cook the pasta: Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, rinse, and set aside to cool.
- Start layering: {set aside some extra bacon, cheese and peas for the top, if you like!} In a clear glass trifle dish or bowl, layer the salad ingredients in this order: pasta, peas, bacon, eggs, cherry tomatoes, cheese, and dressing…top with extra peas, eggs, or bacon, if you like. As you layer, concentrate the ingredients on the outer edge of the bowl first so it looks pretty! You can fill in the middle with more pasta, if needed.
Notes
Casey’s Tips
- Measure with your heart: This is very much a measure with your heart-type recipe. Add more or less of whatever you like! The exact ingredient amounts will also depend on the side of your dish. For this recipe, I used a dish that was 8.5 inches across and 5 inches deep.
- Layering: Concentrate your ingredients on the outside of the bowl first. If needed, fill in the middle with extra pasta.
- Dressing on the side: Reserve a bit of dressing to serve on the side if anyone wants extra.
- Make ahead: This salad is a great make-ahead holiday side dish! For best results, prep the individual ingredients (chop veggies, cook bacon, boil eggs, make the dressing). Then, on the day of your event, simply take 5 minutes to assemble everything!
- Tossing the salad: Let guests toss the salad at the table right before eating (you want everyone to admire your gorgeous creation as long as possible!). I have found two long wooden spoons like these work best to toss a layered salad like this one.
- Storage: This salad is best eaten right away since it will most likely be tossed with the dressing. However, leftovers will stay fresh for a day or two stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
This salad is ALWAYS a crowd-pleaser! Everyone loves it and it’s so easy to prep ahead! XO ~ Casey