Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
This Dill Pickle Pasta Salad is loaded with bold pickle flavor, tossed in a creamy dressing, and perfect for summer potlucks or backyard dinners. Easy to make ahead and a total hit with pickle lovers!
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 (8-oz) box uncooked short pasta shapes like rotini or shells
- pickle juice to taste
- ½ cup sliced dill pickles I always use the baby spears because they are crunchier; use whatever you like best!
- ½ cup chopped dill pickles
- ⅔ cup diced cheddar cheese
- 2-3 tablespoons minced red onion
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill plus more if desired
Dressing
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 3 tablespoons pickle juice or more to taste
- 1 tablespoon pickle relish
- 1-2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool it down and to remove excess starch. Place in a large salad bowl.1 (8-oz) box uncooked short pasta shapes
- Toss the cooked pasta with 2-4 tablespoons pickle juice, or to taste (it should not be liquidy, the pasta should soak up the pickle juice).pickle juice
- Add the pickles, cheddar cheese, red onion, and dill to the pasta and toss together.½ cup sliced dill pickles, ½ cup chopped dill pickles, ⅔ cup diced cheddar cheese, 2-3 tablespoons minced red onion, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small measuring jug or jar. Check for seasoning, add more pickle juice, mustard and seasoning to your taste (I kept it middle of the road for the recipe, I always add more pickle juice).Add about 1 cup of the dressing to the salad and toss to coat. Reserve the remaining dressing in the fridge.¾ cup mayonnaise, ½ cup sour cream, 3 tablespoons pickle juice, 1 tablespoon pickle relish, 1-2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, salt and black pepper
- Taste the salad and again, adjust the flavors to your preference. Cover the salad and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, and up to overnight before serving.
- Right before serving, toss the salad one more time. Add additional dressing as needed (pasta salad soaks up dressing as it sits, I always like to add some extra dressing right before serving to freshen it up and make sure it’s not dry or sticky). Garnish with extra dill and pickles, if you’d like.
Video
Notes
Don't skip rinsing the pasta to cool and remove starch. Toss with pickle juice first for max flavor. Chill with some dressing, add more before serving. Use any cheese you like with pickles—dice it small so it distributes better. Keep chilled in the fridge for up to 3 days, also make sure to keep it chilled at BBQs, picnics and potlucks!