Many times, the best foods are those that are always adaptable. A big pan of macaroni and cheese or a big bowl of pasta salad always seems to hit the spot because they can be made in so many different ways with a slew of different ingredients and flavor profiles. That adaptability is a big reason we love pasta salad, but not all store-bought brands of the classic side are equally delicious.
We tried and ranked 11 different store-bought pasta salads and rated Hidden Valley Ranch’s boxed pasta salad as the worst. Hidden Valley may be famous for its ranch dressing, but this boxed mix — which includes a ranch seasoning packet — just left us wondering, “Why?”
We understand that ranch dressing is a dining table staple in many households, but it doesn’t work in this pasta salad. Apart from looking “aggressively Midwestern,” Hidden Valley’s entry ended up coming out like noodles covered in an overly herb-y and runny ranch dressing. The popular dressing may go well over a garden salad, but, to us, it’s better left off pasta salad. We appreciate Hidden Valley’s creativity, but it should stick to making one of the best ranch dressings — which hits all the right flavor notes and retains its signature creamy texture.
Expecting a little bit more
Hidden Valley Ranch’s boxed pasta salad comes at an affordable price point and is marketed as quick and easy to make, with home cooks only needing to add mayo and milk to the boxed mix before topping the whole thing off with prepackaged ranch seasoning. While the combo of pasta and ranch flavor may appeal to ranch diehards who can’t get enough of ranch’s tangy flavor, it doesn’t appear to be a hit with everyone. Reviews describe the finished product as too salty, just ok, and bland.
Don’t get us wrong, ranch dressing can be the perfect addition to pasta salad. But the difference between a homemade pasta salad and a store-bought mix is that you can control what and how much goes into the salad. A homemade ranch dressing or a sprinkle of ranch seasoning mix can add the right amount of zing to a pasta salad without overpowering the rest of the ingredients, as the Hidden Valley Ranch mix does. There are plenty of better store-bought options — we recommend Trader Joe’s Mediterranean orzo pasta salad. Or you can make delicious homemade pasta salad options and leave the worst store-bought offering at the store.
