Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
Dill Pickle Pasta Salad is creamy, cheesy with a hint of crunch. It has a delicious dill pickle flavor that makes it stand apart from other pasta salads. Plus, it’s ready in just about 20 minutes!
A UNIQUE TAKE ON PASTA SALAD
Here’s a new pasta salad you can take for any upcoming potlucks or barbecues. It will definitely be the stand out side dish! Chunks of cheese mixed with tender pasta, slices of dill pickles, and a creamy sauce all mixed together. It’s a fast to make side dish that everyone will love (just be sure to carry around the recipe with you because everyone will want it!)
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Yes, you can make this up to 24 hours in advance.
We like rotini because it has so many crevices for the dressing to stick to. If you want to change out the pasta, stick to smaller pasta shapes with crevices for the dressing to stick to. Other good options to try are: fusilli, farfalle, and elbow macaroni.
Yes, I like the sharp cheddar as it’s a great contrast to the crisp pickle. But you can use other cheese choices like colby jack or regular cheddar. If you want a bit of spice, try using pepper jack cheese.
If you need to save time, you can use store bought pre-cubed cheese instead of cubing up a block of cheese.
Don’t worry, if you don’t have fresh dill, you can use 1 Tablespoon of dried dill.
Any time you aren’t serving this pasta salad it has to be refrigerated because of the dairy products. It can not sit out longer than 2 hours, but ideally, should be refrigerated right when you’re done serving it. If the dressing becomes too thick, add a splash of pickle juice or milk and stir it in. It should keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- rotini pasta – as I stated above, you can use other pasta shapes like cavatappi, bow tie or even elbow macaroni.
- cheddar cheese – I like to cut these into cubes so it adds texture but if you prefer, you could actually just shred it.
- sliced dill pickles – you want to use dill pickles, not bread and butter or you’ll end up with a strangely sweet dish and it doesn’t really pair well with the other flavors in this.
- fresh dill – if you don’t have fresh dill you can use dried (about a Tablespoon but you can adjust for taste).
- mayonnaise – y’all know what I am going to say here – I do not like Miracle Whip at all so I will never recommend it, but if it is your thing, then go for it. I am a Duke’s or a Hellman’s girl myself.
- sour cream – you can substitute with plain Greek yogurt.
- pickle juice from the jar – it’s important you purchase a flavor of dill pickle that you enjoy. I tend to purchase Claussen pickles (they are packaged cold in the refrigerated section) but use what you like because this pickle juice is also adding a lot of flavor to the salad.
- onion powder – this is not a strong flavor here but just adds to the overall depth of flavor to the dish. You can leave it out if you don’t like onion flavors.
HOW TO MAKE DILL PICKLE PASTA SALAD
Start by cooking the pasta according to the package directions, making sure to cook it to al dente. Once it’s cooked, drain the pasta and rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking process and cool it down. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until they’re well combined.
Add the cooled pasta to a large mixing bowl. Add in the cheese, pickles, and dill.
Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and toss it all together until everything is coated.
Store covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
- Ruby Tuesday Pasta Salad
- Creamy Bacon Broccoli Pasta Salad
- The Best Macaroni Salad
- Caesar Basil Pasta Salad
- Caprese Pasta Salad
- Chicken Macaroni Salad
- Tuna Macaroni Salad
- Creamy Cucumber Salad
- Refrigerator Pickles
Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 16 ounce box rotini pasta
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese, cut into bite-sized cubes
- 2 cups sliced dill pickles
- 2 Tablespoons fresh dill, roughly chopped
Dressing
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup pickle juice from the jar
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon fresh black pepper
Instructions
- Start by cooking 16 ounce box rotini pasta (the pasta, not the box obviously) according to the package directions, making sure to cook it to al dente. Once it's cooked, drain the pasta and rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking process and cool it down.
- In a small bowl, whisk together ¾ cup mayonnaise, ½ cup sour cream, ¼ cup pickle juice from the jar, ½ teaspoon onion powder and ¼ teaspoon fresh black pepper until they're well combined.
- To a separate large bowl, add the cooled pasta. Add in 8 ounces cheddar cheese, cut into bite-sized cubes, 2 cups sliced dill pickles and 2 Tablespoons fresh dill, roughly chopped.
- Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and toss it all together until everything is coated.
- Store covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Video
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
- You can keep leftovers for up to 3 days. If the dressing is too thick as it sits in the fridge, add a splash of pickle juice or milk before stirring.
- Can’t find fresh dill? Use a Tablespoon of dried instead.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
I love your recipes. I’ve been making for 40 years, my mom taught me. Only thing I do differently is use garlic salt instead of onion powder.
Keep your recipes coming they are so good. Thanks
Thank you for this recipe. My niece and I enjoy dill pickles. I even make dill pickle soup. I try some of your recipes and some times tweak then a little for a different taste.