Cottage Cheese Ranch Pasta Salad
This cottage cheese ranch pasta ranch is a protein-packed version of a familiar favorite. It’s loaded with chicken and bacon, and wrapped up in a creamy, irresistible sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Side Dish
Ingredients
Scale
Ingredients
1 pound chicken breast
1/2 pound bacon
2 cups protein pasta (we like Barilla Protein +)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
1 cup romaine, chopped
Cottage Cheese Ranch Dressing
1 cup cottage cheese
2 Tablespoons ranch seasoning mix
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon dill pickle juice
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375º and line 2 baking sheets with foil. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Spread chicken onto one pan and season with salt, pepper, and paprika. On the other sheet pan, add bacon. Cook chicken for 12 minutes, then remove and allow to cool. The bacon should be done at around 15-17 minutes, but cook to your desired crispiness. Then remove, drain bacon grease, and allow to cool.
- Boil pasta and drain. Pro tip: add about ½ tablespoon of salt and a drizzle of oil to the pasta water. The oil keeps the pasta from sticking together.
- Chop the chicken and bacon into bite-sized pieces.
- Add cottage cheese, ranch seasoning, lemon juice, dill pickle juice, salt, and pepper to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
- In a large bowl, add cooked pasta, chicken, bacon, and cottage cheese “sauce.” Stir to combine until everything is coated. Refrigerate to let allllll the flavors mingle.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 153
