The Best Copycat Ruby Tuesday Pasta Salad Recipe
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! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“
Generally speaking, I'm not a “chain restaurant” kind of girl. I live for finding little hole-in-the-wall cafes, family-run diners, and restaurants that only use locally-grown ingredients.
But I do have a couple exceptions, and the Ruby Tuesday salad bar is one of them. Sweet mother, do I love their salad bar.
On my first pass, I pile my plate high with olives, egg, peas, peppers, carrots, and a smidgen of lettuce underneath it all. But on my second pass, I load it up with the fruit salad and the pasta salad.
I can't get enough of the pasta salad – I really don't even know what it is about it that's so addictive to me.
The Ruby Tuesday closest to me is… well, not close at all. I got a horrible craving for the pasta salad recently and my only mission was to come up with a copycat recipe (I know, you're shocked).
And it might not be 100% dead on, but this is pretty freaking close.
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
- Prep pasta: Cook pasta according to package directions, drain, and rinse with cold water. Set aside until completely cooled.
- Prep the dressing: In a very large bowl, combine ranch dressing, mayonnaise, salt and pepper.
- Add the rest: Add green pepper, ham, peas and stir to combine. Add pasta and stir again to combine.
- Chill out: Cover bowl and place in refrigerator to chill completely.
- 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
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.
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!
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.
The flavors don't meld together to get it just right until after it's been in the fridge for at least 1 hour. The good news is that it's totally worth the wait!
Sufficiently salting the water your pasta cooks in and giving it the cold water rinse when it's done cooking with help prevent the pasta from sticking.
Leaving a comment and star rating is a great (and free) way to support Stress Baking. After you've enjoyed this recipe, click on the stars below and leave a comment to share your experience – thank you!
Copycat Ruby Tuesday Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound rotini pasta
- 1 cup ranch dressing
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 green bell pepper, diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 cups ham, cooked and diced (about 1-8 ounce ham steak)
- ½ cup frozen peas
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions, drain, and rinse with cold water. Set aside until completely cooled.1 pound (453 ⅗ g) rotini pasta
- In a very large bowl, combine ranch dressing, mayonnaise, salt and pepper.1 cup (240 g) ranch dressing1/2 cup (112 g) mayonnaise1 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon (½ teaspoon) black pepper
- Add green pepper, ham, peas and stir to combine. Add pasta and stir again to combine.1 green bell pepper2 cups (280 g) ham1/2 cup (72 ½ g) frozen peas
- Cover bowl and place in refrigerator to chill completely.
- Serve cold and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Make sure you rinse the pasta in cold water after it's done cooking – this will stop the cooking process completely, and it will help it cool more quickly.
- People have given some AWESOME recommendations in the comments – some from real life former Ruby Tuesday employees. Check them out if you want to make this more authentic – I'm not including them in my recipe card since it wasn't my idea and I actually love my version as is, and I don't want to give away their secrets without credit :)
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is generated by an automatic API and does not take variations across specific brands into account. This information is provided as a general guideline and should not be treated as official calculations. Learn more here.
Very good! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for enjoying! :)
Thanks for the info, my sister and I absolutely love Ruby Tuesday pasta. I was trying to figure the ingredients out to make it for a party.
You’re so welcome!
My pleasure!
I’m so glad you liked it! It’s such a good staple for BBQs :)
Leslie, you nailed it! I always order the salad bar just so that I can get this pasta salad. I made it tonight, following your recipe and added Lawreys seasoning and it was great! Thanks!
Thank you for the confirmation about the green peppers, Mary! :)
I served and managed at RTs for over 6 years. I made more batches of the ham and pea pasta than I care to remember. I can tell you they absolutely use green peppers and the seasoning is their fry seasoning(like a seasoning salt with pepper).
What am I supposed to do with the frozen peas? Do I cook them first or add them frozen?
You just add them frozen. They thaw quickly and by the time you’ve let the salad chill in the fridge they’re be the perfect consistency!
I always pick out the peas
I just tried this, it tasted really ranch-ie when I tested it, I’m chilling it to hope it mellows out some. They definitely use turkey ham instead of regular ham and my RT always puts green pepper in theirs (I pick it out because of texture issues ????). I also substituted salt/pepper for Johnny’s seasoning (it like lawreys seasoning but with a pepper blend in it).
What brand of mayo do you use
I think at the time I made this post, I had been using Hellmans, but you can use any kind you like!
It still has the green pepper ,had it 2 days ago ???? I love it ,I always pay extra so I can get that salad with my Chicken Bella my other crave from there. Just finished making it for tomorrow !Thank ~You!
FYI: Ruby Tuesday actually uses Turkey Ham to make it less salty and they use the seasoning that is used on seasoned fries. The key also is to use CHEAP ranch. (nothing thick) I went into Ruby Tuesdays every Friday when I was pregnant because I craved soooo much. I make the salad all the time. Except I have added Red bell pepper to it for color.
Thanks for the tips!
Whoops make that HALF A TEASPOON lol, here’s the recipe:http://m.chronicle.augusta.com/life/food/karin-calloway/2010-10-12/simple-recipe-produces-flavorful-pasta-salad#gsc.tab=0
I found another recipe and I’ll tell you what’s missing: it’s Lawrys Seasoning Salt! I was just searching for that recipe and came across yours, I believe it’s a tablespoon you’ll add. If I find that recipe I’ll come back and tell you what it is!
I’m pretty sure theirs doesn’t have green pepper in it. (But I think their potato salad does) A lot of “authentic” recipes I’ve seen for this pasta salad included small cubes of cheese (which I don’t believe is in it either.) I make mine by making ranch dressing using the hidden valley dry mix that uses mayo and milk., and using the package directions, and the whole recipe. Then add more mayo or milk to get consistency you like; but if you add more mayo, add more garlic powder…that is really what makes Ranch Dressing taste so good. The rest of your recipe looks very good!
The one I used to go to always included green pepper, but it certainly could have changed since I was there last. Thanks for stopping by!
They do use bell peppers. I worked the salad bar, and had to make the ham & pea pasta. They also used a seasoning mix called Ruby seasoning.
I too crave Ruby Tuesday’s pasta salad at times. Thank you for sharing the recipe. I’m going to give it a try!
Let me know what you think when you do!