Bow-Tie Cowboy Pasta Salad - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package bow-tie pasta (such as Barilla(R))
2 teaspoons vegetable oil (optional)
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup creamy salad dressing (such as Miracle Whip(R))
1/4 cup milk
1 (1 ounce) package ranch dressing mix (such as Hidden Valley(R))
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
1 (16 ounce) can mushroom stems and pieces
2 cups chopped broccoli florets
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cup bacon bits
1/3 cup diced red onion
1/3 cup chopped green onion

Preparation

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook bow-tie pasta at a boil, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add peas; cook and stir until heated through, about 5 minutes. Let cool.
While pasta cooks, mix salad dressing, milk, ranch mix, and garlic salt together in a large bowl until smooth. Add mushrooms, broccoli, 1/2 the Cheddar cheese, bacon bits, red onion, green onion, and cooled peas. Mix thoroughly. Refrigerate salad until pasta is done.
Drain pasta and rinse with cold water. Mix thoroughly into the salad. Top with the remaining Cheddar cheese and refrigerate until ready to serve.