The Best Creamy Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
This dill pickle pasta salad is creamy, tangy, and loaded with crunchy pickles and sharp cheddar cheese. It is the ultimate easy BBQ side dish for your next potluck or summer gathering.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 10 min
- Total Time: 25 min
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: No Bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound elbow macaroni or rotini pasta
- 1 1/2 cups dill pickles, chopped
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, cubed or shredded
- 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup celery, finely chopped (optional for crunch)
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup pickle juice (from the pickle jar)
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain the pasta well and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Place the cooled pasta in a large mixing bowl.
- While the pasta cooks, prepare the creamy dill dressing. In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, pickle juice, Dijon mustard, white vinegar, sugar, and black pepper until smooth.
- Add the chopped dill pickles, cheddar cheese, red onion, and celery (if using) to the bowl with the cooled pasta.
- Pour the dressing over the pasta and mix gently until all ingredients are evenly coated.
- Stir in the fresh chopped dill.
- Cover the bowl and chill the pickle pasta salad in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving. This chilling time allows the flavors to blend.
Notes
- This tangy cold salad tastes best when made ahead of time, allowing the pasta to absorb the dressing flavors.
- For a lighter version, substitute half of the mayonnaise with plain Greek yogurt.
- If you are making this for a crowd, consider adding cooked, crumbled bacon for a pickle bacon pasta salad variation.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 650mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 21g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 10g
- Cholesterol: 25mg