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This Dill Pickle Pasta Salad is a delicious twist to classic pasta salad with chunks of baby dill pickles, dill pickle juice, fresh dill, all wrapped up in a creamy dill sauce. This is a must-make side dish recipe!
For more dill pickle recipes be sure and try also try this Dill Pickle Chicken Salad. It’s perfect served inside croissants.
The Best Pasta Salad Recipe – Dill Pickle!
This recipe is for all you dill pickle lovers out there! I am raising my hand so high because my go-to snack is always a pickle. The crunch, texture, and salty brine of the pickle just can’t be beat.
Combine it with cheddar cheese cubes, fresh dill, and whole sliced pickles smothered in a creamy pickle juice dressing, and you have an out-of-this-world amazing pasta salad.
Why You’ll Love This Dill Pickle Salad Recipe
- Perfect For A Crowd : Anytime I take this anywhere, it’s always gone and people ask for the recipe. It’s one of those crowd pleasing dishes that’s perfect for a family gathering, potluck, picnic, or bbq. Plus, it transports really easily in one bowl.
- Dill Pickle Goodness Overload : Need I say more! If you love dill pickles, then this pasta salad will obviously be a fave.
- Best Summer Recipe : Whether it’s a lighter lunch or a side dish at a poolside bbq, this dill pickle pasta salad is a versatile side dish for anything.
Ingredients You Need To Make It
- Rotini Pasta – This is the best pasta shape to use for this recipe because it has lots of little grooves and areas to hold and soak up all that dill pickle sauce goodness.
- Dill Pickle Juice – Just take this from the jar of dill pickles. You will use the pickle juice in two different spots of the recipe – pour over the hot cooked pasta and for the dressing.
- Sliced Whole Baby Dill Pickles
- Cheddar Cheese Cubes – Cut small cubes from an 8 ounce block of cheddar cheese.
- Chopped Fresh Dill – Fresh dill tastes the best, but dried dill weed can be used if wanted.
- Mayonnaise – The base of our creamy dill dressing. No substitutes!
- Sour Cream
- Onion Powder, Kosher Salt, Dried Parsley, Black Pepper – Easy dried seasonings for the dressing.
How To Make Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
Here are the simple, easy-to-follow steps for making this pasta salad recipe with dill pickles and a creamy dill pickle juice dressing.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. When it’s done, drain the pasta in a colander and rinse it under cold water.
- Add the drained and cooked pasta into a large mixing bowl. Add in the pickle juice and stir to coat all the noodles in the juice.
- Add the sliced baby dill pickles, cheddar cheese cubes, and chopped fresh dill to the pasta. Stir to combine.
- Mix up all the creamy dressing ingredients until combined well. Pour it over the pasta salad and stir until everything is well mixed and coated in the dressing.
- Either serve it right away OR cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-3 hours for a cold pasta salad.
FAQ’s and Helpful Tips
- How Should I Store Dill Pickle Pasta Salad? : This should be stored in an airtight container, I just use the lid for the mixing bowl it’s in, for 3-4 days. As with any pasta salad, it will dry out the longer it sits in the fridge because the pasta will soak up any leftover sauce. Add some additional mayo, sour cream, and/or dill pickle juice to moisten leftovers back up.
- Cheese : You will need an 8 ounce block of cheddar cheese (mild, medium, or sharp cheddar) that has been cut into small cubes. You don’t want the cheese cubes huge! Try to make them about the same size as the slices of baby dill pickles. Feel free to try using another variety of cheese such as Colby Jack, Pepper Jack, or Monterey Jack.
- Don’t Make It Too Far In Advance : Because the pasta will soak up the creamy sauce, it’s important to not make this salad too far in advance of when you’re planning on serving it. I prefer a cold pasta salad, so I let it refrigerate for about 2-3 hours before serving it. I don’t recommend making it the day before.
Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
This Dill Pickle Pasta Salad is a delicious twist to classic pasta salad with chunks of baby dill pickles, dill pickle juice, fresh dill, all wrapped up in a creamy dill sauce. This is a must-make side dish recipe!
Ingredients
Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
- 1 box (16 oz) rotini pasta
- 1/3 cup dill pickle juice (from the pickle jar)
- 2 cups sliced baby dill pickles
- 1 block (8 oz) cheddar cheese (cut into small cubes)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Dill Pickle Creamy Dressing
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup dill pickle juice (from the pickle jar)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the pasta according to package directions. When the pasta is done, drain it in a colander and rinse it under cold water.1 box (16 oz) rotini pasta
- Add the cooked and drained pasta to a large mixing bowl. Add in the pickle juice and stir to coat all the pasta noodles in the pickle juice.1/3 cup dill pickle juice
- Add the sliced baby dill pickles, cubed cheddar cheese, and chopped fresh dill. Stir to combine everything together.2 cups sliced baby dill pickles, 1 block (8 oz) cheddar cheese, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- Make The Creamy Dressing : In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, dill pickle juice, onion powder, salt, dried parsley, and black pepper until combined well.1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup dill pickle juice, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon dried parsley, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Pour the dressing on top of the pasta salad and mix together until all the pasta is coated in the sauce and everything is combined well.
- You can either serve this pasta salad right away OR cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap, and let it refrigerate for up to 2-3 hours before serving. * I don't recommend making this pasta salad ahead of time as the pasta will soak up all the sauce and dry it out. The 2-3 hour fridge time is fine, but don't make it much longer prior to that.
Notes
Serving Tip : Because this salad has a dairy base with the mayo + sour cream, it’s important that it not be out at room temperature for longer than 1-2 hours. If you are serving it outside where it’s hot or you want to keep it out longer, try placing the bowl of salad on top of a bed of ice or inside a cooler.
Leftovers : Leftovers will dry out the longer they are kept in the fridge. The salad is still plenty delicious, but you may want to add some mayo, sour cream, or additional pickle juice to moisten the leftovers back up. Give the salad a good stir as well to mix everything together again.
Pasta : Prepare the pasta to al dente or softer depending on your preference. I prefer a softer pasta noodle for pasta salads, so I always cook it about 2 minutes past the al dente cook time.
Nutrition
Calories: 231kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 601mg | Potassium: 128mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 116IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg
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