This Dill Pickle Pasta Salad is for all the pickle lovers out there. Loaded with chopped dill pickles, pasta, fresh dill, and a creamy dressing with plenty of flavor.
This easy salad is perfect for potlucks, barbecues, and summer dinners. It's tangy, crunchy, and one of those dishes people keep coming back for another scoop.
At a Glance: • Serves 6 • Easy to Make • Chill for at least 2 hours • Perfect alongside burgers, hot dogs, or barbecues.
A Pasta Salad for Pickle Lovers.
I'm a pickle lover. When I was little, my brothers once challenged me to drink all the pickle brine straight from the jar. I didn't finish the challenge, but it definitely confirmed just how much I loved anything pickle-flavored.
This Dill Pickle Pasta Salad is made for pickle lovers, like me. It's creamy, tangy, crunchy, and loaded with chopped dill pickles in every bite. The pickle flavor really shines through without being overpowering.
One of the secrets to this recipe is soaking the hot cooked pasta in pickle juice before mixing everything together. The pasta absorbs that tangy flavor while it cools, giving the whole salad an extra boost of dill pickle goodness. This is a trick I learned from The Chunky Chef, and it adds extra pickle flavor to the pasta.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Pasta - I've used small pasta shells. You could also use rotini, wagon wheels, or bow tie pasta.
- Pickles - Choose crisp dill pickles with plenty of crunch for the best texture and flavor. I enjoy baby dills because they seem to have the perfect crunch.
- Cheese - Cheddar cheese balances the tangy pickles perfectly. I like to use a medium or sharp cheddar.
- Red Onion - Adds extra flavor and a bit of crunch.
- Fresh Dill - Pairs perfectly with the dill pickles and adds bright flavor.
- Mayonnaise - Use regular mayonnaise for the creamiest dressing.
- Sour Cream - Blends with the mayo for a creamy, tangy dressing.
- Dijon - Adds flavor to the dressing.
- Seasoning - Salt, pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes finish everything off.
How to Make Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
- Cook pasta to al dente, according to package directions.
- Drain pasta well and place hot pasta in a large bowl.
- Add pickle brine and stir to coat. Allow the pasta to rest for 5-10 minutes until cool.
- While the pasta is cooling, make the dressing by combining the mayo, sour cream, Dijon, pickle juice, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Taste and add salt, if needed.
- When the pasta is cool, add half of the dressing and mix to combine.
- Stir in chopped pickles, red onion, and cheddar cheese.
- Add fresh dill and stir to combine.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Stir and add more dressing, as needed.
- Served chilled, topped with sliced pickles and fresh dill as a garnish.
Recipe tips
- Adding the pickle juice, or brine, to the hot pasta adds extra pickle flavor. As the pasta cools, it will absorb the liquid and that tangy flavor from the brine.
- Don't add salt to the dressing right away. Taste the dressing first to see if it needs salt. The pickle brine adds quite a bit of salt and may be enough to season the dressing.
- Only add half the dressing at the beginning. The pasta will absorb some of the dressing as it chills, and you'll want to add extra dressing before serving. Add the amount of dressing to make the pasta creamy and delicious. You may not need all of the dressing.
- Store pasta salad covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Serving Suggestions
Dill Pickle Pasta Salad goes well with almost any meal, but I love to serve it most often when I'm grilling. Some favorites to try include:
More Delicious Pasta Salads
I could enjoy delicious pasta salads every day of the week. If you're looking for more tasty pasta salads, you'll want to try these recipes.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
Check out all my delicious pasta salad recipes!
Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Pasta Salad
- 8 ounces small pasta shells
- ¼ cup pickle juice (from your jar of pickles)
- 1 cup dill pickles (diced)
- 1 cup cheddar cheese (diced)
- ¼ cup red onion (finely diced)
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill (chopped)
Dressing
- ⅔ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons pickle juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼-½ teaspoon salt (as needed)
Garnish
- 1 pickle (sliced)
- fresh dill
Instructions
- Boil the pasta according to package directions until al dente.8 ounces small pasta shells
- Drain the pasta well and place the hot pasta in a large bowl. Pour ¼ cup of pickle juice over the pasta. Stir until coated. Allow the pasta to cool for 5-10 minutes, stirring at least once while it is cooling. The hot pasta will absorb the pickle juice, adding extra flavor.¼ cup pickle juice
Dressing
- While the pasta is cooking, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, 2 tablespoons of pickle juice, Dijon, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Taste the dressing. If needed, add salt. Because the pickle juice is salty, you may find you don't need to add any salt, or just a small amount.⅔ cup mayonnaise, ½ cup sour cream, 2 tablespoons pickle juice, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes, ¼-½ teaspoon salt
Assembling the Pasta Salad
- Once the pasta has cooled, add half of the prepared dressing.
- Mix in the chopped pickles, red onions, cheddar cheese, and fresh dill.1 cup dill pickles, 1 cup cheddar cheese, ¼ cup red onion, 2 tablespoons fresh dill
- If the salad seems dry, add a bit more of the dressing.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Cover and refrigerate the remaining dressing.
- When ready to serve, remove from the refrigerator and stir pasta salad. Some of the dressing will have absorbed into the pasta. Add as much dressing as you need to make a creamy pasta salad. You might not use all the dressing.
- Garnish with pickle slices and fresh dill, optional.
Notes
- Adding the pickle juice, or brine, to the hot pasta adds extra pickle flavor. As the pasta cools, it will absorb the liquid and that tangy flavor from the brine.
- Don't add salt to the dressing right away. Taste the dressing first to see if it needs salt. The pickle brine adds quite a bit of salt and may be enough to season the dressing.
- Only add half the dressing at the beginning. The pasta will absorb some of the dressing as it chills, and you'll want to add extra dressing before serving. Add the amount of dressing to make the pasta creamy and delicious. You may not need all of the dressing.
- Store pasta salad covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Nutritional Disclaimer:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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