Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
A creamy, tangy pasta salad loaded with crunchy dill pickles, cheddar cheese, and fresh dill. The pasta is soaked in pickle juice while still warm, giving every bite extra pickle flavor.
Servings 6 people
Calories 437kcal
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.
Nutrition
Calories: 437kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.05g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 917mg | Potassium: 183mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 413IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 185mg | Iron: 1mg