Ingredients
Method
Cook and prep
- Cook penne or rotini pasta according to package directions until al dente, then drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.
- Toss diced cooked chicken breast with buffalo sauce until every piece is coated in an even, glossy layer.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta, buffalo chicken, diced celery, and halved cherry tomatoes.
Dress and chill
- Add ranch dressing and toss until the pasta is coated and the salad looks creamy rather than dry.
- Gently fold in most of the blue cheese so it disperses but doesn’t fully break down.
- Refrigerate the salad for at least 1 hour to firm up the texture and let the flavors mingle.
Serve
- Top the chilled salad with the remaining blue cheese and sliced green onions just before serving.
Notes
For clean portions, rinse the pasta thoroughly with cold water so it’s cool and non-sticky before dressing. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 3 days; freezer not recommended because the ranch and tomatoes can change texture. For a lighter option, swap ranch dressing for a Greek-yogurt ranch style while keeping the same buffalo chicken coating.