If you love pickles you have to make this dill pickle pasta salad! Pasta, crunchy dill pickles, cubes of cheddar cheese, red onion, and a homemade creamy dill dressing with pickle juice round out this delicious pasta salad. It’s perfect for summer barbecues, picnics, and more!
If you love dill pickles as much as I do, be sure to make my dill pickle dip!
Why You’ll Love Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
Lots of pickles – If you’re making a pasta salad with dill pickles in the title, there better be a lot of dill pickles in the salad! Not only is the pasta salad packed with crunchy chopped dill pickles, but it also uses the pickle juice.
Creamy dill dressing – This might be one of my favorite dressings I’ve made! It’s creamy, loaded with fresh dill, and the tang from the dill pickle juice takes it to another level.
Great for entertaining – This is a great pasta salad to serve at or take to barbecues and picnics. It’s easy to throw together and you can make it ahead of time. Watch how fast it disappears!
Ingredient Notes
Pasta – I used radiatore pasta, but fusilli would be a great alternative. I love the way the dressing gets caught in the ridges.
Red onion – Adds a nice crunch and onion bite.
Dill pickles and pickle juice – Use a crunchy dill pickle. Grillo’s pickles are super crunchy and have great dill and garlic flavor. Don’t dump the pickle juice, you’ll be using it in the dressing.
Dill – Fresh dill is a must for this recipe. The flavor outshines dried dill.
Cheddar cheese – Use block cheddar cheese and cut it into small cubes for the best cheddar flavor.
Mayonnaise and Greek yogurt – Combining both mayo and Greek yogurt in this recipe is a great way to cut down on the fat and calories in the dressing without sacrificing the flavor.
Dijon Mustard – Adds a nice tang to the dill pickle dressing.
Garlic powder and onion powder – Used to flavor the dressing. I opted not to use fresh garlic to avoid that harsh raw garlic bite.
Tips for Making Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
- Use good quality mayo for the dressing and low fat or full fat Greek yogurt. I like Chosen Foods Avocado Oil Mayo. Fage is the brand of Greek yogurt that I normally use in recipes.
- A crunchy dill pickle is a must for this recipe. Grillo’s is hands down the best in my opinion.
- Don’t overcook the pasta and rinse it under cold water after you drain it. Rinsing it under cold water stops the cooking process.
- For the best flavor, let it chill in the fridge for at least and hour or overnight before serving. This allows all the ingredients and flavors to combine together.
Substitutions and Variations
- Substitute Greek yogurt with sour cream.
- If you don’t like mayo you can use just Greek yogurt, however the flavor won’t be quite the same.
- Fresh dill is best for this recipe, but if you have to replace it with dried dill use 3 teaspoons. Make sure your dried dill is fresh and not expired.
- Swap cheddar cheese with colby jack cheese, gouda, or havarti cheese.
- Use a different shaped short pasta such as shells, cavatappi or fusilli.
What to Serve with Pickle Pasta Salad
Storage
- Dill pickle pasta salad will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- The pasta salad can be served right after making it or you can make it a day ahead of time. I find the flavor is best when it has at least an hour to chill and the flavors can to marry together.
- Don’t freeze the pasta salad. The dressing won’t have the same consistency and the pasta will my mushy once it’s defrosted.
More Pasta Salad Recipes
Summer and pasta salads go hand in hand with each other. They’re perfect to serve at barbecues and a great option to take to picnics or potlucks. A few of my favorites include:
Did you make this dill pickle pasta salad? I’d love if you’d leave a recipe rating and review below.
Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside.
Chop the pickles, red onion, and cheese. Add them to a large mixing bowl along with the pasta. Gently toss together.
In a glass measuring cup add all of the ingredients for the dressing. Whisk together until well combined.
Pour the dressing onto the pasta salad and stir together with a rubber spatula until everything is coated in the dressing. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt and pepper if needed.
Cover the pasta salad and refrigerate for an hour or until you’re ready to serve it. Garnish with extra chopped pickles and dill if desired.
The pasta salad will keep for up to 4 days and is best if you allow it to chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour after making it.
Calories: 286kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 11gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 642mgPotassium: 160mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 171IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 116mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
