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Ruby Tuesday Pasta Salad (+Video)

Creamy and full of flavor, this copycat Ruby Tuesday Pasta Salad is crazy popular, and now you can make it at home whenever the craving strikes!

A COPYCAT RECIPE FOR A CREAMY PASTA SALAD

My co-workers and I used to go to Ruby Tuesday all the time for their salad bar for lunch. One of our favorites was their pasta salad. A pretty simple pasta salad, but it was so good! So when all of the Ruby Tuesday restaurants closed in our area, I was determined to come up with my own version that has all that familiar flavor, is super creamy, and can be made in just 30 minutes! So let’s get ready to tickle your tastebuds with this recipe for one of Ruby Tuesday’s most popular dishes!

A close up of a pasta salad with pasta, peas, and ham.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Can I use homemade ranch seasoning?

Wanna ditch the ranch seasoning package? Instead, use 2 Tablespoons of some homemade ranch seasoning. Here’s a simple recipe you can use!

Do I have to use buttermilk?

If you want the pasta salad to taste as close to the one you get at Ruby Tuesday’s, then you’re going to want to use buttermilk. However, if you’re out or don’t have time for the store, you can use regular milk. Just don’t use skim milk, it won’t turn out right.
I know you can add vinegar or lemon juice to milk to make a fake buttermilk but it doesn’t make the milk thicker. Real buttermilk is thick and rich. Adding lemon juice or vinegar to regular milk does not give you that same richness and thickness, it just makes it sour. So I’m not a fan of making the fake buttermilk. Just use plain milk instead.

Do I have to chill pasta salad before serving?

For this copycat recipe, I highly recommend that you chill it for at least an hour. Chilling it allows the pasta salad to meld all the flavors together. However, if you don’t have the time, you can serve it right away. It may taste a little mayonnaise-y though, as it hasn’t had time to mix all the flavors together.

What can I add to this pasta salad?

If you want to add some things to the dish, you can try bite size pieces of broccoli or cauliflower, maybe some green onions, crispy bacon bits, or chopped red onion too.
Updated to add: current Ruby Tuesday employees tell me the pasta salad now has diced green peppers as well. I don’t remember those being in there years ago but apparently they are now. So feel free to add in one diced green pepper if you enjoy those!

Can I add cheese?

Yes! Again, this will change the flavor a bit, but it also may take the recipe to a whole new level in my opinion. If you’re wanting to add some cheese, try some fontina cheese, provolone, Swiss, diced cheddar cheese, or some shredded mozzarella cheese.
You could also try adding ¼ cup of grated parmesan to the sauce to really amp up the flavor.

Can I skip rinsing the pasta?

No, rinsing the pasta is essential. It helps stop the pasta cooking process. If you skip it, you may end up with some mushy, overcooked pasta. I also recommend cooking it al dente anyway. You don’t want soggy pasta for this recipe and al dente pasta is just the right texture.

Can I use other pasta?

Yes, you can use other pasta shapes. Rotini is what is used in the Ruby Tuesday version, but you can also use farfalle, rigatoni, penne, spaghetti, cavatappi, etc. I would recommend smaller pasta shapes for this recipe.

Do I have to use frozen peas?

I use frozen peas because they’ll thaw in the pasta salad as it hangs out in the refrigerator. Frozen peas thaw super quickly but they also help keep the salad cold. It also helps prevent having super mushy peas since they start out more firm while frozen.

How to store leftovers?

Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container and kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Just be sure to give the pasta salad a good stirring before you dish it out, to help it make sure it’s all well coated again. I don’t recommend freezing.

A glass bowl of rotini, pasta, ham, and sauce.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)

  • rotini noodles
  • mayonnaise
  • buttermilk
  • dried ranch seasoning
  • garlic salt
  • black pepper
  • frozen peas
  • ham
  • green peppers (optional)
Rotini noodles, mayonnaise, buttermilk, ranch seasoning, garlic salt, black pepper, frozen peas, and ham.

HOW TO MAKE RUBY TUESDAY PASTA SALAD

Cook the rotini noodles per the directions on the back of the box. Drain well and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Allow again to drain well, we don’t want the pasta adding too much excess moisture to the pasta salad.

A pot of rotini pasta.

In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, ranch seasoning, garlic salt, and black pepper. Keep in the fridge until you are ready to assemble to pasta salad.

A glass bowl of pasta salad sauce.

In a large bowl, stir together the pasta, frozen peas, and ham.

A bowl of rotini, ham, and peas.

Add the dressing and stir until everything is coated in the dressing. Cover and place in the fridge for 1 hour so the flavors can mingle.

A bowl of rotini pasta, ham, peas, and mayo based dressing.

Give it a good stir before serving and enjoy.

A bowl of Ruby Tuesday Pasta Salad.

CRAVING MORE RECIPES?

A plate of homemade pasta salad, a Ruby Tuesday copycat recipe.
A close up of pasta salad with ham and peas.

Ruby Tuesday Pasta Salad (+Video)

Creamy and full of flavor, this copycat Ruby Tuesday Pasta Salad is crazy popular, and now you can make it at home whenever the craving strikes!
5 from 21 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Ham and Pea Pasta Salad, Ruby Tuesday Pasta Salad, Ruby Tuesday Salad
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 438kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 pound rotini noodles (16 ounces)
  • 1 3/4 cups mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoons dried ranch seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 10 ounces frozen peas
  • 8 ounces ham, small diced

Instructions

  • Cook the rotini noodles per the directions on the back of the box. Drain well and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Make sure it drains very well after rinsing. We don’t want the pasta adding too much excess moisture to the pasta salad.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, ranch seasoning, garlic salt, and black pepper.
  • In a large bowl, stir together the pasta, frozen peas, and ham.
  • Add the dressing and stir until everything is coated in the dressing. Cover and place in the fridge for 1 hour so the flavors can mingle. Give it a good stir before serving.

Video

Notes

  • You can serve this right away, it is delicious, but I recommend allowing it to chill for about 1 hour. If you eat it right away, it tastes a little mayonnaise-y so you want those flavors to mingle.
  • Milk can be substituted for the buttermilk; however, it will no longer taste like a copycat recipe. 
  • This is out-of-this-world good, I just love the flavor combination. It doesn’t taste like ranch really, it just gives a fantastic flavor to the overall dish.
  • Updated to add: current Ruby Tuesday employees tell me the pasta salad now has diced green peppers as well. So feel free to add in one diced green pepper if you enjoy those. 
  • You can add the peas from frozen, they will thaw in the pasta salad and help make it extra cold.
  • Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. I do not recommend freezing.

Nutrition

Calories: 438kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 15g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 725mg | Potassium: 210mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 211IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional Disclaimer

“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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