Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
Chopped dill pickles, bacon pieces, sharp cheddar, and crisp red onion, combined with pasta and an ultra-creamy dill pickle dressing!
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 576kcal
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1 1/3 cups mayonnaise
- 2/3 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup pickle juice from the jar
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- generous pinch cayenne pepper
Pasta salad
- 16 oz box dried rotini pasta
- 1 1/2 cups diced dill pickles we love Grillo's brand
- 1 cup diced sharp cheddar cheese from a block
- 1/3 cup minced red onion
- 1/2 cup pickle juice from the jar
- 3 - 4 Tbsp minced fresh dill or about 1 - 1.5 Tbsp of dried dill
- 5 slices cooked and crumbled bacon
- 2 green onions diced
Garnishes (optional)
- additional crumbled bacon
- additional pickles
- additional green onions
- additional black pepper
Instructions
Prepare
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Make dressing
- Add 1 1/3 cups mayonnaise, 2/3 cup sour cream, 1/3 cup pickle juice, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and a generous pinch cayenne pepper to mixing bowl and whisk to combine fully. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Boil pasta and drain
- Once the water in the pot is boiling, add some salt (amount not included in the recipe - it's up to you).
- Add 16 oz box dried rotini pasta and boil to al dente, according to package directions. Drain.
- Immediately add pasta to a large mixing bowl, add 1/2 cup pickle juice and stir until pasta absorbs some of the juice. Let sit 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Assemble salad
- To the pasta, add 1 1/2 cups diced dill pickles, 1 cup diced sharp cheddar cheese, 1/3 cup minced red onion, 3 - 4 Tbsp minced fresh dill, 5 slices cooked and crumbled bacon, and 2 green onions.
- Stir to combine, then pour dressing into the bowl and stir again until well combined.
Chill
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Serve
- Give the pasta salad a good stir to redistribute some of the dressing.
- Serve cold, garnished with additional crumbled bacon, diced pickles, green onions, and a sprinkle of black pepper if desired.
Notes
- I've estimated this recipe serves about 8, but feel free to divide it up into as many servings as you'd like.
Nutrition
Calories: 576kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 17g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 1075mg | Potassium: 220mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 376IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 153mg | Iron: 1mg
