Dill Pickle Pasta Salad

I love pasta, salad and pickles, so I am all in for this tangy take on pasta salad. Dill pickle pasta salad has tons of flavor thanks to sliced dill pickles, pickle juice and cheddar cheese. Like most pasta salad recipes, it’s incredibly easy to make: Just stir the dressing and combine it with cubed cheese and cooked pasta. After a quick chill in the fridge, the recipe for dill pickle pasta salad is ready to serve at your next barbecue or potluck, or as a side with dinner.

When you need recipes for pickle fanatics (or maybe YOU are the pickle fanatic!), this pasta salad with dill pickles will not disappoint.

Dill Pickle Pasta Salad Ingredients

Ellie Crowley for Taste of Home

• Pasta shells: The bite-sized shape of small pasta shells is perfect for this salad because the concave shape holds on to the dressing. Other short pasta shapes you can try are elbows, rotini or orecchiette.
• Dill pickles: To match the small size of the pasta, pick pickles like petite dill or dill gherkins, then slice them up.
• Pickle juice: Don’t pour that pickle juice down the drain! Save 1/4 cup brine to stir into the dressing so that the pickle flavor reaches every pocket of the pasta salad.
• Cheddar cheese: Choose your favorite variety of cheddar, from mild to extra sharp, then cube and toss it into this pasta salad with dill pickles.
• Onion: A little diced onion lends a savory flavor to the creamy salad. You want a fine dice so that no one gets a big piece of onion in their bite. The best way to chop onions quickly and precisely is with a sharp chef’s knife.
• Fresh dill: While the vinegary dill pickles and pickle juice are the stars of the pasta salad, some fresh dill lifts the dressing with a lovely, herby flavor.
• Mayonnaise: Make the creamy dressing with the best mayonnaise for the best overall flavor.
• Sour cream: We like the blend of mayonnaise with sour cream for this dressing. Sour cream has a rich texture and a little more tanginess than mayo.
• Seasonings: Pickles and diced onion add so much flavor that all you need for spice in this dill pickle pasta salad recipe is a little salt and pepper.

Directions

Step 1: Cook the pasta

Ellie Crowley for Taste of Home

Cook the pasta shells according to the package directions. Drain the pasta, rinse it with cold water and drain it again.

Editor’s Tip: Salt pasta water for extra flavor.

Step 2: Combine the salad ingredients

Ellie Crowley for Taste of Home

In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta, pickle slices, cubed cheese, diced onion and fresh dill.

Step 3: Make the dressing

Ellie Crowley for Taste of Home

In a separate bowl, mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, dill pickle juice, salt and pepper.

Ellie Crowley for Taste of Home

Stir the dressing into the pasta mixture.

Step 4: Chill and serve

Cover the salad and refrigerate it for at least one hour. It’s then ready to serve.

Editor’s Tip: This recipe is a great choice when you need a pasta salad for a crowd (like for a work party or to share at a picnic)—it makes eight satisfying servings.

Ellie Crowley for Taste of Home

Dill Pickle Pasta Salad Variations

• Make a garlicky version: Instead of regular dill pickles, slice up some garlic dills. Or, you can add some garlic powder or a little minced fresh garlic.
• Try it spicy: If you like your salads with a kick, use spicy dill pickles. Slice up some pickled chiles from a jar and add these as well. Instead of cheddar, add cubed pepper jack cheese to the pasta salad.
• Swap the cheese: For a milder salad, use cubed Monterey Jack or Colby Jack cheese instead of cheddar. For more dill flavor, try cubed dill Havarti in this recipe for dill pickle pasta salad.

How to Store Dill Pickle Pasta Salad

Enjoy leftover dill pickle pasta salad with lunch or as a late-night snack. Store the salad in a tightly sealed food container in the fridge. Give the salad a good stir before serving it.

How long does dill pickle pasta salad last?

When the salad is kept tightly sealed to protect the flavors and prevent it from drying out, it will last for up to five days.

Can you make dill pickle salad ahead of time?

Dill pickle pasta salad holds up well in the fridge, so it’s a great choice from our collection of make-ahead salad recipes. Prepare the salad the day before you want to serve it, cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate it overnight. Stir the salad and then serve it.

Dill Pickle Pasta Salad Tips

Ellie Crowley for Taste of Home

Should pasta be cooked al dente for pasta salad?

Because no one wants a mushy dill pickle pasta salad recipe, yes—you should cook your pasta al dente. That means the pasta is slightly firm and has a slight chewiness, which gives the pasta enough structure under the rich, creamy dressing. Cook the pasta according to the package directions and begin tasting it about two minutes before it’s finished. Once the pasta is al dente, immediately drain it and rinse it under cold water to stop the noodles from cooking further.

What can you serve with a recipe for dill pickle pasta salad?

Pasta salad with dill pickles is delicious alongside fried chicken, burgers or other backyard barbecue recipes. Or, pair one of our best sandwich recipes with this pasta salad. It’s also a popular dish to bring to potlucks and gatherings—everyone loves the tangy pickle flavor.