Dill Pickle Pasta Salad

Dill Pickle Pasta Salad will impress all your guests with its salty crunch and creamy dressing-it’s full of amazing and crave-able flavors!

A Pretty Big Dill

There are so many options of what to take to a potluck and sometimes we just pull out the usual favorites that we could whip up in our sleep, with how often we make them. But sometimes we want something different or we know we’ll be sharing this dish with a crowd we kind of want to impress so then choosing our dish becomes a big dill. (I love pickle puns.)

I absolutely love bringing this fantastic Dill Pickle Pasta Salad on these occasions because it’s so unexpected and it’s always a giant hit. This pasta salad is light, creamy, and crunchy, with a delicious salty pickle taste that is so addictive. I never worry about this mayo dish sitting out in the sun too long, it’s gone too quickly for that to be a concern!

Other Recipes to Serve with Dill Pickle Pasta Salad

• Not sure what to grill at your potluck? You can never go wrong with Grilled BBQ Chicken Legs! They are simple to make and a great main dish to serve with this pasta salad.
• No get together is complete without the marshmallow and fruit sweetness of a classic Ambrosia Salad!

Ingredients

Items For the Pasta Salad: You will need Rotini pasta, diced cheddar cheese and chopped pickles. You can use your favorite pickles or even a combination of dill and sweet pickles.

FOR THE DRESSING

Refrigerated items: Both mayonnaise and sour cream will be used for the dressing.

Pantry Items: Save some of the pickle juice from the jar of pickles to add to the dressing, along with ketchup and mustard.

Seasoning: You will need fresh dill, onion powder, pepper and salt.

How to Make Dill Pickle Pasta Salad

STEP ONE: Cook the pasta to al dente and then run cold water over it to cool it quickly. While the pasta cooks, whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl until well mixed.

STEP TWO: In a large bowl, combine the pasta, chopped pickle, and diced cheddar cheese.

STEP THREE: Add the dressing to the main ingredients and mix well, coating everything completely. Check the seasoning and then allow the salad to chill in the fridge for a while to let the flavors come together.

Tips for Success

• Choose your favorite pickles for this recipe, or even a combination of dill pickles and sweet gherkins. The baby dills are faster to chop into the right size, but you can easily chop any size you buy. Homemade Refrigerator Pickles are also amazing in this salad and a perfect way to use up all of those cucumbers at the end of the summer. Those who grow cucumbers know what I’m talking about.
• Make sure that you cut your pickles into bite-sized pieces so that you get that wonderful crunch. If you cut the pickles too small then they will get lost in the salad.
• Cook the pasta just to al dente. You don’t want it too firm but you also don’t want it so soft that it falls apart in the salad. Running the pasta under cold water just after draining it will stop any further cooking and help to prevent overcooked pasta.
• This Dill Pickle Pasta Salad will keep for about 3 days in the fridge, but the pasta will start to soak up the dressing and look a little dry. To refresh your salad simply add a little pickle juice and mix.

Can I use other types of pasta?

You can use any of the larger-sized pasta that you like, such as Cavatappi or medium shells, just avoid very small pasta or long noodles, like spaghetti. Gluten-free pasta is also a great substitute in this pasta salad, again, just stick with larger gluten-free noodles.

Can I add a protein to this salad to make it a meal?

There are some proteins that would be pretty dynamite in this pasta salad, such as shrimp, crab, ham, hard boiled eggs, or seasoned tofu cubes. You could try out some of your favorite vegetables as well, like tomatoes or peas. There are so many ideas for you to try and find your favorite combination!

Spread the potluck love with even more pasta salads!

• Tortellini Pasta Salad
• Creamy Taco Pasta Salad
• Crab Pasta Salad
• Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad
• Easy BLT Pasta Salad