Ham Pasta Salad With Ranch Dressing
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This creamy and cheesy ham pasta salad recipe is the perfect spring and summer supper. Who can say no to a dish overflowing with tender smoked ham, pasta, lots of fresh veggies, and ranch dressing?
The question I’ve been asked the most this week amid record high temperatures is “What can I cook for supper that won’t heat up the kitchen?”. So I whipped up one of my favorite pasta salads to post for ya real quick. This one is filled with smoked ham (the smoked part is important), tomatoes, cucumbers, English peas (I guess that means they talk with a British accent), cheese, and bowtie pasta. It’s all tied together with a creamy ranch dressing.
Fortunately, you don’t have to spend a lot of time in the kitchen to whip up this quick and easy ham pasta salad recipe. Chop the ham and veggies while the pasta boils, then combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Pop it in the fridge for an hour or several to let all the flavors mingle and voila, that’s how you make my creamy ham pasta salad.
Now, before we go further, I just wanna say these are my ingredients. But feel free to alter the recipe to use up what you have on hand or to suit your personal tastes. If you don’t like cucumber, leave it out. Alternatively, if you can’t get enough of carrot, pop them in. If this cold pasta salad doesn’t suit your family’s tastes, don’t fret because they’re not the ones making this ~grins~. It’s good to be the cook!
Let’s make supper.. or lunch… or a mid-day snack.
Recipe Ingredients
- Bowtie pasta
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Grape tomatoes
- Frozen peas
- Bell pepper
- Cucumber
- Ranch dressing
- Smoked ham
How to Make Ham Pasta Salad
First, we’re going to boil our pasta according to the package directions. Drain in a colander and pour running cold water over pasta, while stirring, until completely cooled. Allow the pasta to drain fully before pouring it into a large bowl.
While that’s boiling, dice up your ham into nice bite-sized pieces or smaller, peel and chop up cucumber, and chop up your bell pepper.
Now we’re going to combine everything in a big ol’ bowl. First goes the pasta.
Then add the ham…
the shredded cheddar cheese…
the thawed frozen peas…
the cucumber…
the bell pepper…
the grape tomatoes…
and finally, add in your dressing.
Now we’re going to stir up our ham pasta salad really well.
Cover and refrigerate until chilled and ready to serve.
If you’re hungry, eat some now and I won’t tell.
Dig in!
Storage
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Recipe Notes
- There are so many ways to make this ham and cheese pasta salad recipe your own. Let’s take a look:
- Use whatever meat you like. This might be shredded chicken breast, rotisserie chicken, leftover turkey breast, leftover ham, or cooked bacon.
- Add whatever frozen or fresh vegetables you like as well. Some other suggestions include corn, red onion or green onion, broccoli, and celery.
- Use a different salad dressing. Many recipes opt for just mayonnaise or Italian dressing.
- Use half cheddar cheese and half shredded parmesan cheese if you like.
- For pickle fans, add 1/2 cup of drained dill pickle relish.
- Use whatever small pasta you have on hand, whether that’s elbow macaroni pasta, small shell pasta, or rotini.
- Whenever I need smoked ham for a quick recipe, I just go to the deli counter and ask for a single slice that is about 1/2-inch thick. That is the perfect size for dicing up and using in recipes. The smoked ham adds a wonderful flavor to this meal.
- You don’t need to cook the frozen peas. Just let them thaw a bit while you prepare this and they’ll be fine.
Check out these other sensational salad recipes:
Old-Fashioned Ham Salad Recipe
Recipe for Caprese Salad with Chicken and Avocado
Chicken Salad Recipe for Sandwiches
Broccoli Salad With Bacon and Raisins
The BEST German Potato Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 box bowtie pasta 1 pound
- 1-2 cups diced smoked ham
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup frozen peas thawed slightly
- 1 peeled and chopped large cucumber
- 1/2 diced bell pepper
- 1-2 cups grape tomatoes
- 1 cup buttermilk ranch dressing
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain in a colander and pour running cold water over pasta, while stirring, until completely cooled. Allow the pasta to drain fully before pouring it into a large bowl.1 box bowtie pasta
- Add all other ingredients to the large bowl and stir until well combined.1-2 cups diced smoked ham, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1 cup frozen peas, 1 peeled and chopped large cucumber, 1/2 diced bell pepper, 1 cup buttermilk ranch dressing, 1-2 cups grape tomatoes
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Keeps well for three days in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.
Brother David Steindl-Rast
Well after the recent wind storm that came through and without power from Friday night to Monday morning, I am truly grateful for electricity and running water! Also to the power companies that came from near and far to help get people’s power back on, working in 99 degree plus weather in the hot summer sun. I can’t imagine living without a/c-how did people work all day and not be able to get any relief from the heat to rest at night. They were made of strong stuff! Thanks for the recipe Christy and your stories.
That is it Pat, they were made of strong stuff. I am so glad to hear they finally got your power restored!!! I know it was just miserable without it. My thoughts and prayers have been with all of those affected.
I put this salad together this morning. Excited to try it for dinner tonight. It went together quickly!! 🙂
Thank you, Christy, for your awesome recipes!!
I hope you like it Betty!!
I love pasta salads – especially in the hot weather. I get to use all the fresh vegetables my husband grows! Hope all is well with you and yours!
We are well Pam, hope you and yours are as well and have a very happy 4th!!!
Will definitely make this this week, with the jello jars too! My kids love looking at this site with me, cause as they say “it all looks so yummy! Let’s make that!” I am so very lucky that they eat almost everything you put in front of them. With your recipes, I never go wrong. As they say, I am the gooderest cook ever! I am so grateful to have had custody of them ((my great-niece (7) & nephew (6)) now almost 4 yrs (Aug 14th @ 2pm will be 4 yrs!) They are truly the light of my life. I could not love them any more if they were my own. Love your site, your wit, your compassion, your ability to share God with others. So very glad I found it !!
What a true blessing for both you and them Angie!! I can just feel all of the love in your house!!
I have found with salads featuring a cooked starch (potatoes, macaroni) that if you cool them in the fridge for an hour or more, then they absorb a lot less of the dressing and remain creamier. Especially if you make the salad the night before – which often tastes better the next day than fresh made. Kinda like some soups are better the next day.
I am thankful for my children. The last ditch efforts we went through after 3 years of stressful failures and finally we were blessed with my little darlings going on 5 years old.
I am thankful that we live in a stable country where my children and family have a high probability of safety and a rewarding life. So many in our world never know when disaster is going to strike and no where to go to prevent that.
Thank you Christy for unknowingly being there for me.Reading your post has helped me through a hard time in my life. My youngest son went to be with Jesus 2 years ago.Today was such a blessing as I held my new great grandson in my arms.I’m so thankful for my wonderful memories with my son and all the new memories that will be made with the new baby boy.You are a true woman of God and a blessing to me.
Oh my goodness Bernice. I am so sorry to hear about your son and my heart and prayers are with you. I am so grateful to hear about the new addition and know he will be such a huge bleesing in your life. Please give him a big cuddle and huge squeeze from me!!!
Christy, Thank you for this recipe. I enjoyed reading your postings. I am so thankful for my daughter and her husband and his two boys. They have brought many wonderful times to our family. I am thankful they were able to join us for a vacation at the beach this year. I am also thankful for our youngest daughter who just moved to Mobile, Alabama for her first “real” job. I am thankful she will have air conditioning! Happy Fourth of July!