This is my favorite Dill Pickle Pasta Salad recipe with a creamy dressing and lots of crunchy pickles, cheddar cubes, onion, and fresh dill. This easy pasta salad is ready in only 20 minutes!
Looking for more pasta salad recipes? Try my shrimp pasta salad next!
About This Recipe
I saw this recipe on TikTok a few weeks ago, and I knew I wanted to try making it! Who knew dill pickles could be such a delicious addition to a pasta salad?
TikTok (and other social media apps) have actually been a great inspiration to me for recipes lately. Not all of them are winners (looking at you, chocolate jello!), but I'd say 90% of them have been worth trying. When I saw dill pickles in pasta salad, I knew it was going to be good. And I was right!
The combination of crunchy, acidic pickles balances the creamy sauce exceptionally well. And the addition of onions, cheddar cheese, and dill take it to the next level. It actually kind of reminds me of a cheeseburger, but obviously, there is no beef. It's much more refreshing. A great side dish for the summer!
Key Ingredients
Rotini pasta: I used about 3 cups of dried pasta. After you cook the pasta, you want to let it drain for at least 5 minutes. This way, it absorbs more of the salad dressing instead of just the cooking water. If you don't have rotini... macaroni, shells, and fusili all work great.
Pickles: I used regular pickles from a jar. Remember to save some of the pickle juice too.
Cheddar cheese: Diced into cubes is how most people serve it. You can shred it too!
Red onion: I love the flavor of red onion in this. If you don't like onions, you can omit them.
Fresh dill: Freshly chopped dill adds so much freshness! If you don't have fresh dill, you can also use dried dill, but obviously, the salad with lack some freshness. You could counteract this by adding some chopped celery to the salad.
Dressing: For this, you'll need mayonnaise, sour cream, pickle juice, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
Instructions
STEP 1: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (I use about 1 tablespoon of salt per 2 quarts of water). Cook the pasta according to the package directions, then drain the pasta over a colander for at least 5 minutes.
STEP 2: Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
STEP 3: Add the cooked pasta and the rest of the salad components to a large bowl. Pour over the dressing.
STEP 4: Mix and serve!
๐ Recipe
Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the salad
- 3 cups rotini pasta (macaroni or shells work too!)
- 1 cup chopped dill pickles
- โ cup diced cheddar cheese
- ยผ cup minced red onion
- ยผ cup chopped fresh dill
For the dressing
- โ cup mayonnaise
- ยผ cup sour cream
- ยผ cup pickle juice (from the jar)
- ยฝ teaspoon garlic powder
- salt & black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the rotini according tot he package directions. Drain and rinse under cool water, then set over a colander to drain for at least 5 minutes.
- In a bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, pickle juice, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- In a large bowl, add the cooked pasta, pickles, onion, cheese, and dill. Pour over the dressing and toss to coat completely. Refrigerate for at least one hour, then it's ready to eat!
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