Creamy Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
This dill pickle pasta is full of briny flavors from the crunchy dill pickles and creamy dill pickle dressing. We love to amp up the briny flavors by adding pickled red onions and feta cheese. We take it over the top with crispy bacon. The perfect salad for any cookout, picnic, BBQ or potluck.
Dill Pickle Pasta Salad Recipe Ingredients
- PASTA: Fussili, rotini or cavatappi pasta is what I like to use or any short pasta. For this pasta salad I used fussili bucati Corti. You will need about 12 oz / 340 grams of pasta which is approximately 4 cups or just over 4 cups of dried pasta. If you decide to do a full pound of pasta you may need to adjust the amounts of dressing to keep the salad nice and creamy.
- DILL PICKLES: Dill pickles are really the star of this pasta salad. We love how deliciously crunchy and briny they are. If you prefer to do half dill pickles and half sweet pickles you can. We did 1 cups dicd dill pickles but for more dill pickle flavor feel free to add more to taste.
- BACON: Cooked and crumbled bacon takes this creamy dill pickle pasta salad over the top. Bacon is optional but a great add in.
- GREEN ONIONS: Add nice flavor to the salad and go so well with the dressing. Feel free to use chives for the green onions
- FRESH HERBS: I use fresh parsley and dill for this recipe. However, you can add other herbs or herbs of your choice like cilantro, basil, mint or thyme or tarragon as well. If you prefer to use dried dill for the dressing for a more intense punchy flavor you can substitute it for the fresh - sub 1 tablespoon fresh dill with 1 teaspoon dried dill or more to taste.
- MAYONNAISE: Mayonnaise provides the creamy base of the dressing and binds all of the ingredients together, helps prevent them from separating. Feel free to use regular mayo which is tangy and rich or Miracle Whip which is sweeter - feel free to use whichever one you prefer but I always go for the classic savoury creamy mayo in mine. Please adjust amounts to taste
- SOUR CREAM or GREEK YOGURT: It adds a fabulous tanginess to the dressing. It’s a wonderful addition but if you prefer yogurt to sour cream or vice versa you could definitely use that as a substitute. I know some recipes call for buttermilk - feel free to add some to this creamy pasta salad for extra tang. Usually I only add a touch of it to thin out the dressing if needed. I always use sour cream cause it helps the pasta salad stay creamy - greek yogurt doesn’t stay as creamy when mixed in with the pasta and when chilled.
- PICKLE JUICE: Pickle juice is a must for the dressing in this dill pickle pasta salad. If you prefer to add a little fresh lemon juice you can up to 1 tablespoon for extra tart flavor.
- PICKLED RED ONIONS or RED ONIONS: We love all things pickled so we use chopped pickled red onions but diced red onion works well too.
- CELERY: Celery adds some crunch - you could also add other veggies like shredded carrots or diced bell pepper.
- FETA: Feta cheese is the best kind of salt briny cheese add in. If this is a bit over the top for you, you could instead add some shredded or diced cheddar cheese instead.
- MUSTARD: I like to use Dijon mustard but you can use whole grainy mustard or regular yellow mustard or a combination of them - feel free to use any type of mustard you like
- SEASONING: I used salt and black pepper, garlic powder and onion powder for the dressing. Adjust amounts to taste. If you would like a little kick you could add a little cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes or add a dash of hot sauce to the dressing.
Make your Dill Pickle pasta salad even creamier
Love a super creamy pasta salad? The amount of mayo used in this recipe is about ½ the amount of a traditional super creamy pasta salad. So you could say this is a ‘lighter’ pasta salad - but feel free to make it even creamier. You can add one of two things to this pasta salad to get an even creamier texture: add ¼ cup extra Greek yogurt or sour cream or buttermilk to thin it out if needed. Only use Greek yogurt if you’re not planning to save leftovers; the texture can become gummy in the refrigerator. Instead use sour cream as the best option or if you don’t really care about calories and want to add more mayo that is totally fine too - you got options!
How to Make Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
- COOK PASTA & BACON: Cook pasta according to package directions adding 1-2 minutes more to ensure pasta stay tender after being chilled. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside. Cook bacon util golden and crisp, then crumble or chop and set aside.
- PREP THE SAUCE/DRESSING: Whisk together the dressing ingredients
- TOSS EVERYTHING TOGETHER: Add the pasta, bacon, pickles, herbs, celery, pickled red onion, green onions and feta to a large bowl, drizzle or spoon over dressing and and gently toss everything to combine.
- SEASON: Taste and season with salt and pepper, to taste and check for creaminess adding more mayo or sour cream as needed
- CHILL & SERVE: Serve right away if you wish but for best results chill for 1-3 hours, or overnight. Garnish with extra green onions or chopped fresh herbs or fore extra flavor and texture we love to crumble over some dill pickle or salt and vinegar chips.
Dill Pickle Pasta Salad Storage & Make Ahead
- How long Can Creamy Dill Pickle Pasta Salad Last outdoors or out of the fridge? If you plan on serving this pasta salad at an outdoor gathering I recommend keeping it in the refrigerator or cooler until right before serving. It is not recommended to eat this type of salad that has been sitting out or at room temperature for one - two hours, even less depending on how warm it is outdoors.
- How long can I store Dill Pickle Pasta Salad In the Fridge? It should always be stored in the fridge in an airtight container. When properly stored, it’s good for up to 3-5 days, but at its best within the first 24 hours because the veggies will get a bit soggy and the pasta will get a bit waterlogged
- Can I Make Dill Pickle Pasta Salad Ahead of Time? Yes it can be made 1 hour to 24 hours ahead of time or stages of it can be prepped in advance. Here’s how:
- Make the entire salad ahead of time: Make the pasta salad the night before. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Cook pasta ahead of time: you can cook the pasta ahead of time, cool and toss with a touch of olive oil and keep in the fridge. Store in the airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Make Dressing ahead of time: Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together and store in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours before tossing the rest of the ingredients with it
More Pasta Salad Recipes You Will Love
Recipe
Servings: 4-6
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 25 mins
Ingredients
For the Dressing
- ½ cup Mayonnaise
- ½ cup Sour Cream or greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup pickle juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill
- Salt & black pepper to taste
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
For the Pasta
- 12 oz fussili pasta (or any short pasta), approximately 4 cups dry pasta
- 1 cup chopped/diced dill pickles (plus more to taste)
- ¼ cup diced pickled red onions a red onion
- 1 large rib of celery, diced
- ½ Ib thick cut bacon, cooked and chopped (approximately 5-7 slices)
- ¼ cup fresh dill, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 green onions, sliced
- ¼-½ cup crumbled feta
For Toppings/Garnishes
- Chopped Fresh Dill
- Crushed Dill Pickle or Salt and Vinegar kettle chips
Directions
- In a media size skillet cook bacon until golden and crisp. Remove from skillet with slotted spoon and transfer to paper towel lined plate to drain off excess grease. Once cool enough, chop or crumble and set aside.
- Cook pasta in a pot of boiling water until just past al dente or 1-2 minutes past the recommended time on package. Drain rinse with cold water, strain and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayo, dill pickle juice, fresh dill, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste until well combined. Set aside.
- To a large mixing bowl, add the cooked and drained pasta, bacon, pickled red onion, green onions, celery, feta, chopped dill pickles, fresh dill and parsley, and the dressing and gently toss until combined.
- Serve garnished with more fresh dill and crushed dill pickle or salt and vinegar kettle chips.
Recipe Notes
- Feel free to chill pasta salad for 1-2 hours for flavours to really meld. Toss salad really well before serving and thin out dressing as needed, garnish and serve.
- Thin out the pasta salad with a touch of buttermilk if needed. Or add more mayo or sour cream for extra creaminess.
- Want to add more protein - I recommend adding 2 cups chopped grilled or rotisserie chicken.
- Want more Dill pickle flavor in your dill pickle salad - soak your cooked pasta in a bit of pickle juice while you prepare all your ingredients - it will soak in more dill pickle flavor. Drain before tossing the pasta with remaining ingredients and dressing.
