Dill Pickle Pasta Salad

Dill Pickle Pasta Salad is a creamy, crunchy, tangy pasta salad that’s a wonderful variation from the standard pasta and macaroni salads. The dill pickle flavor really knocks the salad outta the ball park.

It’s the perfect way to usher in spring or summer and complement warm-weather meals for friends and family or even large get-togethers. It’s absolutely perfect for potluck season!

Warm summer weather just seems to usher in refreshing cold pasta recipes like this scrumptious recipe. If you’ve got pickle pickin’ fingers that seem to wander to the pickle jar in search of a crunchy little snack, then you are going to absolutely fall in love with this recipe!

This creamy pasta salad recipe serves at least 6 hungry people. It’s perfect for dinner time and makes the perfect side dish for any grilled dinner. If you’d like to serve it for larger groups like potlucks, church dinners, or at a summer picnic, it’s easy to double.

Looking for more delicious pasta salad recipes? I’ve got you!! Try my taco pasta salad, pasta salad with Italian dressing, chicken pasta salad, or classic macaroni salad!

Dill Pickle Pasta Salad Ingredients

Salad

• Elbow Pasta – Cooking your pasta al dente takes around 7-9 minutes and means leaving it just a little firm in the center.
• Dill Pickle Juice – Letting the cooked pasta sit in the pickle juice only takes a couple of minutes but it is essential to the flavor profile of this recipe. The pickle juice coats the pasta giving it a light, refreshing flavor for the salad.
• Cubed Cheese: I like sharp cheddar.
• Dill Pickles: The star of the show!
• Fresh Dill: Compliments the flavor of the dill pickles.
• White Onion: You can use white or yellow onion.

Creamy Dill Dressing

• Mayonnaise: I use Best Foods.
• Sour Cream: I like the tang and creaminess the sour cream adds.
• Dill Pickle Juice: Pour it straight out of the jar.
• Sriracha – Making dill pickle pasta salad means using just enough of your favorite hot sauce to kick up the flavor profile. This recipe calls for Sriracha, but any hot sauce will do the trick.
• Salt & Pepper
• Fresh Dill

Tips 

• Pasta: Cooking your pasta al dente takes around 7-9 minutes and means leaving it just a little firm in the center.
• Cheese: Switch the cheddar with Colby jack cheese or pepper jack.
• Pickles: Using sweet pickles instead of dill will coax out a brand-new flavor profile full of aromatic deliciousness and simple pleasures.

Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead

• How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? Storing this dill pickle pasta salad is a cinch but it doesn’t last long once people taste it. Simply put it in an airtight container and toss it in the fridge to keep it fresh. I recommend chilling for a few hours before serving, anyway.
  • Storing the dill pickle pasta salad in a secure container in the fridge will protect it from moisture and other contaminants. If it is protected in an airtight container and kept at the appropriate temperature, this will keep for 3-5 days.
• Can You Freeze This? Unfortunately, dill pickle pasta salad does not freeze well. The mayo and sour cream tend to separate in the freezer and fresh veggies are never quite the same after thawing. This recipe is best made fresh and stored in the fridge until served.
• Make-Ahead Tips: Letting your salad sit in the fridge for a few hours or even overnight gives all the yummy flavors time to marry and become one with awesomeness!

Variations

1. Type Of Pasta: Any type of pasta will work in this salad. I like the elbow macaroni because it catches the dressing and is easily coated with lots of dill. Try making it with bowtie pasta, small shells, penne, fusilli, rotini, or cavatappi in place of the elbows.
2. Dill Pickle Pasta Salad With Ham: This salad is delicious with cubed ham mixed in. Try it when you want to serve this salad as a main course.

Serving Recommendations

This Salad is one of those delightful chilled pasta salad recipes that complement almost any grilled food, adding variety and texture to the plate.

Try serving it with my family’s favorite shish kabobs, chicken made with my chicken marinade recipe, grilled flank steak, or always popular,  grilled beer brats!

How to Make Dill Pickle Pasta Salad

1. Pour pickle juice over cooked pasta.
2. Mix all the dressing ingredients
3. Add pasta, cheese, pickles, dill, and onion to a serving bowl.
4. Toss it with the dressing.
5. Refrigerate and serve.

***See full instructions below.

More Pasta Salad Recipes

• Tortellini Salad
• Greek Pasta Salad
• Mediterranean Pasta Salad
• Tuna Pasta Salad
• Pesto Pasta Salad
• Italian Pasta Salad
• Spaghetti Salad

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Dill Pickle Pasta Salad

Dill Pickle Pasta Salad is a delicious way to usher in summer and compliment warm weather meals for friends and family or even large get togethers.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Chill4 hours hrs

Total Time25 minutes mins

Servings: 6 Servings

Author: Kathleen

Ingredients

Salad

• 8 ounces elbow pasta
• 1/2 cup dill pickle juice, straight from the jar
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, small diced
• 1 cup sliced dill pickles
• 3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
• 3 tablespoons white onion, finely chopped

Creamy Dill Dressing

• 2/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup sour Cream
• 1/4 cup dill pickle juice, straight from the jar
• 1/4 teaspoon Sriracha (or other hot sauce)
• salt to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill chopped

Instructions

• Cook the pasta (8 ounces) according to package instructions, just until al dente. Rinse pasta and drain well.
• Add pasta to a mixing bowl and combine with 1/2 of pickle juice (straight out of the jar). Let sit for 5 minutes and drain.
  
• Mix together all the creamy dill dressing ingredients in a mixing bowl.
  
• Add pasta, cheese (1 cup), pickles (1 cup), dill, and onion (3 tablespoons) to a serving bowl and toss with dressing.
  
• Refrigerate for 4-6 hours for best flavor and serve!

Fans Also Made:

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  Caesar Pasta Salad
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  Chicken Macaroni Salad
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  Italian Pasta Salad (Amazing Cold Pasta Salad! )
• 
  Shrimp Pasta Salad

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Notes

1. Pasta: Cooking your pasta al dente takes around 7-9 minutes and means leaving it just a little firm in the center.
2. Cheese: Switch the cheddar with Colby jack cheese or pepper jack.
3. Pickles: Using sweet pickles instead of dill will coax out a brand-new flavor profile full of aromatic deliciousness and simple pleasures.

© Gonna Want Seconds. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media/website/blog is strictly prohibited.

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