Quick and easy Dill Pickle Pasta Salad combines cellentani pasta, dill pickles, sharp cheddar, and fresh dill in a creamy mayonnaise and sour cream base. What’s not to love about a chilled pasta salad with dill pickles and sweet fresh dill? This tasty dish takes about 20 minutes to make, and it is the ideal side dish for all your summer grilling and a nice change from potato salad.
How to make Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
Start by cooking your pasta al dente according to package instructions and drain well. Rinse a little cold water over the pasta and toss in the colander to stop the cooking process. Add the pasta to a large bowl.
In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream, pickle juice, onion powder, and fresh dill. Stir the mayonnaise mixture, dill pickles, and cubed cheddar cheese into the pasta. Season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped fresh dill or fresh parsley.
Dill Pickle Pasta Salad recipe notes
- This pasta salad can be made ahead of time, but wait until you are ready to serve to combine it with the dressing.
- Other pasta choices include rotini pasta or elbow macaroni.
- People always ask me if I should use Miracle Whip or real mayonnaise. I am partial to real mayo and especially fond of the flavor of Dukes. However, I am sure that this salad would taste delicious with Miracle Whip as well.
- Cut the cheese into small cubes. Other cheeses that work well with this include white cheddar, Pepper Jack, Monterey Jack, and Colby Jack Cheese.
- I like the baby dill pickles for this salad, but any size dill pickle works as long as you cut them up.
- Other seasonings to experiment with include garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, or even a little Cajun seasoning.
- Make it a full meal by adding protein. Think ham, chicken, or bacon
- Other fresh veggies to add include cherry tomatoes, or celery, bell peppers, and red onion for added crunch.
- Keep this salad covered and refrigerated until ready to serve.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. If it seems a little dry add a little bit of mayo, sour cream, or a splash of pickle juice.
What does cooking pasta al dente mean?
Al dente is an Italian phrase meaning “to the tooth,” and it means that pasta should be cooked fairly firm and not limp and soft. This rule should apply to all your pasta dishes but is particularly important when it comes to pasta salads and pasta that will be reheated in a skillet with sauce or other ingredients.
The best way to cook pasta al dente is to set the timer to the lowest recommended time on the package. Then carefully pull a couple of noodles out of the pot to test them but be careful. They will be very hot so don’t get burnt. If it needs more time, set it for 1 more minute and check it again. When you think it is just about time, go ahead and pull it because it is inevitable that it will take you another 30 seconds to get it off the stove. Keep in mind that it will have some structure and a little bite to it and not feel like a limp noodle.
More pasta salads to try!
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad- Caprese Pasta Salad
- Orzo Pasta Salad
- Italian Tortellini Pasta Salad
- Spaghetti Salad
Macaroni Salad
Dill Pickle Creamy Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Salad Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup dill pickle juice from the pickle jar
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoon fresh chopped dill plus more for garnish
Pasta
- 1 lb. cellentani or corkscrew pasta
- 2 cups diced baby dill pickles plus more for garnish
- 1 ½ cups cubed sharp cheddar cheese
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook your pasta al dente according to the package directions. Drain in a colander and rinse with a little cold water to stop the cooking process and keep your pasta from sticking. Drain well and add the pasta to a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream, pickle juice, onion powder, and fresh dill.
- Stir the mayonnaise mixture, dill pickles, and cheddar cheese cubes into the pasta.
- Season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped fresh dill.
Notes
- This pasta salad can be made ahead of time, but wait until you are ready to serve to combine it with the dressing.
- People always ask me if I should use Miracle Whip or real mayonnaise. I am partial to real mayo and especially fond of Dukes. However, I am sure that this salad would taste delicious with Miracle Whip as well.
- Cut the cheese into small cubes. Other cheeses that work well with this include white cheddar, Pepper Jack, Monterey Jack, and Colby Jack Cheese.
- I like the baby dill pickles for this salad, but any size dill pickle works as long as you cut them up.
- Other seasonings to experiment with include garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, or even a little Cajun seasoning.
- Make it a full meal by adding protein. Think ham, chicken, or bacon
- Other fresh veggies to add include cherry tomatoes, celery, bell peppers, and red onion.
- Keep this salad covered and refrigerated until ready to serve.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If it seems a little dry, add a little bit of mayo, sour cream, or a splash of pickle juice.
Nutrition
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Alita Pacio
Dill Pickle Pasta Salad is literally my favorite pasta salad ever! My mom used to make it for us and I learned to love it. The dill pickles add tons of flavor and crunch to the salad.
Fransic verso
This is an interesting salad we tried it before and it tastes yummy. I would love to try it again because it’s been a while since I had it before.
Olga
Great pasta salad recipe. Easy to make and everyone enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing!
Monidipa Dutta
I just had pickle pasta salad with cream. My 17 yo niece made it but the recipe was just a bit different. Next time I make it I’ll use yours recipe.
Kristy Bullard
So delicious! Perfect for a BBQ or family get-together – it’s always a hit. I love the combination of Dill pickles and cheese.
Nyxie
I adore dill pickles and we are getting back into the time of year when salads are better than hot food. I’ll definitely have to try making this one for myself.
Debbie
I love that this dill pickle pasta salad is so quick and easy to make. It’s the perfect option for a quick take along for an upcoming event! Thank you for the great recipe and instructions.
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine, Debbie!
Maureen
I am coming over and I hope you saved me a bowl! This looks delicious and so perfect for lunch or dinner. My husband isn’t really a fan of mayo or miracle whip, is there another alternate for this ingredient?
Kimberley
What a great and refreshing recipe. We absolutely love the combination. I will make this in the summer as a BBQ side. Thanks for sharing.
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine!
Robin
Why did you say to add additional veggies that aren’t shown in the picture? Will it taste the same if you add them? The picture you have looks pretty good by itself.
Beth Pierce
It was just an alternate suggestion. It is very delicious, just as it is pictured. People are always looking for substitutions.
Violet
Would like to make this ahead of time. I’m curious as to why wait with adding dressing?? I’ve made this before, and it was amazing!! Love all your recipes!
Beth Pierce
So the dressing does not soak too much into the pasta. Sometimes that makes it a little dry.
Ian
Very similar to one my mom has always made, except instead of mayo and sour cream, she just uses Miracle Whip, plus about 1/4 cup diced onion and two cans of tuna, and you have an entree instead of a side!
Beth Pierce
Thanks for the tip, Ian!
kushigalu
Totally love the combination of flavors in this pasta recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Anosa Malanga
Glad I came over this. Been thinking of trying something new and now I have some ideas to try on. Thanks for sharing this! Excited to taste the outcome.
Dominique
I love Dill – what a great recipe! Thank you for sharing!
briannemanzb
I’m always on the hunt for delicious recipes like this. I tried to use real mayonnaise rather than whipped dressing and it gives this the best flavor for the salad dressing.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Brianne! So glad that you liked it!