This Dill Pickle Pasta Salad recipe is the summer salad for the dill pickle lover! A mayonnaise based dressing flavored with pickle juice and fresh dill weed coats shell pasta and baby dill pickles. This is the perfect pasta salad to serve next to a Steakhouse Bacon Cheeseburger.
You Put Dill Pickle In My Pasta Salad
There is no doubt about it. Grumpy is a dill pickle fan. He will be in the kitchen, ever so quiet and if I ask what he's doing and the answer is nothing, well I know he's eating pickles! He is known as the pickle and cottage cheese thief in our home. While he tries to blame it on everyone else, but we all know the truth.
Because Grumpy is such a fan of dill pickles, I decided to go ahead and make a dill pickle pasta salad recipe just for him. Turned out it was a major hit with all of the family. Between the 4 of us, this salad was consumed in less than 2 days.
Only The Best Dill Pickle Will Do
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The best dill pickle to use in this recipe is my recipe for Aunt Bonnie's Garlic Dill Pickles. However, we are out of them and I'm waiting for the cucumbers to grow so I can make them. If you can't use my Aunt Bonnie's dill pickles, then you can always buy the baby dill pickles and cut them into slices. We like to buy kosher dill when we do have to buy pickles.
Pasta Shape Does Matter
Just like dill pickles, you want to make sure you use the right pasta for this salad recipe also. I used shell pasta and think it is the best shape for this particular recipe. However, rotini would work well also, all the dressing will cling to the spirals making it tasty. But, the dill pickles won't fit inside a rotini as nicely as it will a shell pasta shape.
Pickle Juice Makes A Difference
Just like my dill pickle meatloaf (see, I told you Grumpy was a dill pickle fanatic), I added pickle juice to this recipe. Adding the dill pickle juice boosts the flavor of the dressing making it super tasty. I like to add a couple of tablespoons of pickle juice as well as fresh chopped dill to my mayonnaise based dressing.
To Cheese Or Not To Cheese
I say absolutely, you must add cheese to this salad. My favorite is always a sharp cheddar cheese. I like the contrast of flavors. However, you can use any cheese you prefer. Colby, Colby Jack, Monterey Jack, Gouda, or Swiss Cheese all work well in this recipe.
Tips And Substitutions
- If the dressing seems to have soaked into the pasta after refrigeration, add a little more mayonnaise and pickle juice to coat.
- Make sure the pasta is cooked to al dente so you have a slight bite to the pasta.
- Substitute shredded cheese in place of cubed cheese
- Swap out 7 Day Pickles for the Garlic Dill Pickles
- Stir in 1 can of chicken or 1 cup of leftover rotisserie chicken
- Finely dice 1 small jalapeno or ½ red bell pepper and toss it in with the pasta mixture
Other Pasta Salad Recipes You Will Love
Macaroni Salad with Tuna and Peas
Parmesan Pasta Salad with Asparagus and Corn
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Dill Pickle Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups shell pasta cooked according to package directions
- ⅔ cup sliced baby dill pickles
- ⅔ cup diced cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons finely diced onion
- ¼ cup fresh dill minced
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup dill pickle juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Place the pasta, cheddar cheese, dill pickles, and onion in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
- In another mixing bowl, add the dill pickle juice, salt, mayonnaise, sour cream, smoked paprika, and garlic powder. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Pour the mayonnaise dressing over the pasta mixture. Toss to coat.
Video
Notes
Tips And Substitutions
- If the dressing seems to have soaked into the pasta after refrigeration, add a little more mayonnaise and pickle juice to coat.
- Make sure the pasta is cooked to al dente so you have a slight bite to the pasta.
- Substitute shredded cheese in place of cubed cheese
- Swap out 7 Day Pickles for the Garlic Dill Pickles
- Stir in 1 can of chicken or 1 cup of leftover rotisserie chicken
- Finely dice 1 small jalapeno or ½ red bell pepper and toss it in with the pasta mixture