Dill Pickle Pasta Salad

Pasta salads are such an iconic summer food… in fact, at just about every cookout this summer, you’ll probably see a bowl of some kind of pasta or macaroni salad.

Everyone loves them, and they’re the ultimate thing to BRING to a cookout, because you can make them up ahead of time.

That being said, some pasta salads are… well… pretty boring!  A handful of vegetables, mushy/flavorless pasta, and some dressing that tastes like plain mayonnaise… sound familiar?

But not this one. This salad is loaded with flavor, and is anything but boring.

It’s perfect for pickle lovers, as it’s bursting with not only plenty of dill pickles and fresh dill, but the pasta is actually soaked in pickle juice, amplifying all that goodness and flavor!

Your potlucks and cookouts this summer deserve a big bowl of this pasta!

What do I need to make this recipe?

• Mayonnaise – this recipe was tested with full-fat mayonnaise, so I can’t say how well light mayo would work.
• Sour cream – this adds a tang to the dressing, as well as additional creaminess.
• Pickle juice – this is used in two different parts of this recipe; the dressing, and the pasta is soaked in it.
• Salt and pepper – these are added to taste, so use what you think is best.
• Cayenne – this adds a mild heat, but can be adjusted to your tastes.
• Pasta – I like to use rotini, as the ridges really give something for the dressing to cling to.
• Pickles – the star of the show, I like to use an ultra-flavorful dill pickle. Grillos is my favorite brand, but feel free to use your own.
• Cheese – sharp cheddar is my preferred cheese, but mild or medium, or even colby or pepper jack would work well.
• Onion – the red onion adds crunch, as well as a savory and slightly sweet flavor.
• Dill – this accentuates the flavor of the pickles.
• Bacon – this adds protein, as well as crunch.
• Green onion – adds a subtle onion flavor, freshness, and a little crunch.

How to make dill pickle pasta salad:

This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.

1. Combine dressing ingredients. No fancy tools required here, just a bowl and a whisk or even a fork.
2. Whisk. You want the dressing to be smooth and creamy.
3. Boil pasta and add other ingredients. You want the pasta to be cooked to al dente (according to the package directions).
4. Stir. I find this salad comes together better if you stir together the pasta and ingredients, then add the dressing.
5. Dress. Pour the dressing over the salad, and give it a good toss. If you’re making this more than a day ahead of time, I recommend holding a bit of the dressing back, so you can add it before serving to make sure it’s creamy.

Variations of this recipe

• Other pasta – if you don’t like rotini pasta, you can make this salad with just about any short-cut of pasta (such as farfalle, elbow, penne, etc).
• Spicy – for a little extra heat, try adding some diced fresh jalapeños, or some diced pickled/jarred jalapeños. You could also add a splash of the jalapeño juice to the dressing, and increase the amount of cayenne pepper.
• Dressing – please feel free to play with the proportions of the mayo and sour cream in the dressing.
• Cheese – instead of cubes of cheese, you can use shredded sharp cheddar.
• Veggies/stir-ins – please feel free to play around with adding other veggies or even protein, such as shredded chicken.
• Doubled – if you require a larger amount, this recipe is easily doubled. Just make sure you double all ingredients.

Making pasta salad ahead of time

Pasta salad is an amazing potluck recipe because it’s actually supposed to be made ahead of time!

Once you mix it all together, it’s best to refrigerate it for at least 1-2 hours, but it can also be made the day before.

Before serving, just give it a stir to redistribute the dressing.

Storage

Leftovers should be refrigerated in an airtight container and enjoyed within 3-5 days.

I don’t recommend freezing this recipe.