Start by cooking the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crispy, about 8-10 minutes, then crumble it onto a paper towel. While the bacon cooks, dice the cooked chicken into 1/2-inch cubes and chop the hard-boiled eggs. Set all three proteins aside on separate plates—having them prepped and ready will make assembly much faster and keep the salad from getting soggy as ingredients sit.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the penne according to package directions until al dente, then drain and rinse thoroughly with cold water until completely cooled. While the pasta cooks, prepare your fresh vegetables: halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the avocado (do this just before assembly to prevent browning), thinly slice the green onions, and chop the fresh chives. Set each ingredient in its own small bowl for easy assembly.

In a large serving bowl, combine the cooled pasta from Step 2 with the bacon, chicken, and eggs from Step 1. Add the halved tomatoes, avocado, green onions, and blue cheese crumbles. I like to add the lemon juice to the ranch dressing first and whisk it together—this brightens the flavor and helps prevent the avocado from oxidizing. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently but thoroughly until everything is evenly coated.

Garnish the salad with the chopped fresh chives from Step 2. Serve immediately while the pasta is still chilled and the avocado is fresh. If you need to make this ahead, I recommend keeping the dressing separate and adding it just before serving—this keeps the pasta from getting mushy and prevents the avocado from browning.