Dill Pickle Pasta Salad is a delicious and creamy pasta salad where the pickles are the star of the dish! The perfect dish for pot lucks or side for any backyard BBQ! A salad for all the pickle lovers!
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This post was originally posted on 7/15/2020 and updated on 7/12/2024.
Why We Love This Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
- An easy pasta salad recipe that requires simple ingredients.
- This salad is a total crowd-pleaser. Great for pot lucks, parties, BBQs, and holidays.
- A great make ahead dish. It actually tastes better the next day!
- Makes a perfect side dish but also a main dish for quick lunches, packed lunches or picnics.
- A delicious salad where dill pickles are the main ingredient with chopped pickles and pickle juice. The absolute perfect salad for anyone who loves pickles.
Dill Pickle Salad Recipe Ingredients
- Rotini Pasta
- Baby Dill Pickles
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- Mayonnaise
- Granulated Sugar
- Pickle Juice
- Dried Dill Weed
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Salt
- Black Pepper
Substitution Suggestions
- Rotini Pasta: You can use any pasta that is similar in shape and size. Good options would be Farfalle, Fusilli Pasta, Medium Shells, and Elbow Macaroni.
- Baby Dill Pickles: I like to use the baby dills because they have more crunch. You can use any pickle, but the baby pickles give the best texture.
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese: You can use any type of cheese you like. I use Co-Jack a lot. Cheddar, Muenster, Pepper Jack are yummy options too.
- Mayonnaise: If you like you can use Miracle Whip. I usually use Miracle Whip in my pasta salads, because I like it better than Mayo. However, with this recipe I really like the Mayo better. Since there is pickle juice in the dressing, the richness from the Mayo really helps balance the flavor.
- Granulated Sugar: Feel free to use honey as a sweetener.
- Dill Pickle Juice: This is an essential ingredient. It really boosts the flavor of the salad. There isn't another ingredient that will give you the same flavor.
How to Make Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
- First, prepare the pasta according to directions on box for al dente.
- Then drain and rinse with cold water. Set pasta aside or in the fridge.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, granulated sugar, pickle juice, dried dill, garlic and onion powder, salt and black pepper.
- To the dressing add: cooled pasta, chopped pickles and cubed cheese. Fold together until completely combined evenly.
- Cover bowl tightly and chill the salad for at least a hour before serving. The longer the better!
- Serve and Enjoy!
Why you Need to Rinse Pasta for Cold Salads
Normally, I would never ever suggest rinsing pasta because the starch helps the sauce adhere to the pasta. However, that rule applies for warm pasta dishes. Rinsing pasta for cold dishes helps stop the cooking process and will also help reduce the temperature of the pasta so it can be combined with the rest of the ingredients sooner rather than later.
What to Serve with Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
This pickle salad is delicious served as a side dish or a main dish salad. Here are some of our favorite things to enjoy with it:
Storing Pickle Pasta Salad
Storing: Store the pickle pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Make it ahead: This salad can be made ahead of time. Make it the day before you need to serve it. Letting it sit a day in the fridge helps all the flavors meld, and I think its even tastier the next day.
Serving: Pasta salads are perfect for picnics and potlucks. However, they need to stay cool. To prevent any bacteria from growing, the salad can only sit at room temperature for 2 hours. To help keep it cool while you serve it, place the bowl of ham pasta salad inside a larger bowl with some ice in it. The ice will keep the salad cool allowing you to leave it out longer if needed.
Pickles are a big deal in this house! We absolutely love them topped on this Cheeseburger Casserole or Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni. Give one a try!
Tips for Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
- Don't forget to salt the pasta water. It is the only opportunity you have to season the pasta.
- Rinse the pasta right away with cold water after you drain it. This allows the pasta to cool down faster, and removes some of the starch so the pasta won't stick together as it cools.
- Make the dressing in the large bowl you want to store or serve it in. That way you have less dishes to do!
- Don't add dressing to warm pasta. The dressing can separate and can prevent it from adhering to the pasta. You can chill the pasta while you prepare the dressing and other ingredients.
Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 16 oz Rotini Pasta
- 2 cups chopped baby dill pickles
- 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, cubed
- 2 cups mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup dill pickle juice, reserved from pickle jar
- 2 teaspoons dried dill weed
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente pasta.
- Drain and rinse pasta with cold water. Set aside or in fridge.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together mayonnaise, sugar, pickle juice, dried dill, garlic and onion powder, salt and black pepper.
- Add cooled pasta, chopped pickles and cheese to bowl with dressing.
- Fold together until thoroughly combined.
- Cover and chill in fridge for at least a hour before serving.
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