Description
Creamy dill pickle pasta salad delivers a zesty twist on classic summer sides, blending tangy pickles with cool, smooth dressing. Crisp vegetables and herb-infused pasta make you crave seconds at picnics and potlucks.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 12 ounces (340 grams) rotini or elbow pasta
- 1 cup dill pickles, diced
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Vegetable Ingredients:
- ½ cup diced red onion
- ½ cup diced celery
- 2 tablespoons pickle juice
Dressing Ingredients:
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons dill pickle juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried dill (or 1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped)
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Boil pasta in a generously salted water bath until perfectly tender, ensuring an al dente texture. Immediately drain and shock with cold water to halt cooking process and prevent clumping.
- Craft a vibrant dressing by whisking mayonnaise, sour cream, tangy pickle juice, zesty Dijon mustard, aromatic garlic powder, and fragrant fresh dill together. Season with salt and pepper, adjusting pickle juice for desired tanginess.
- Transfer cooled pasta to a spacious mixing vessel. Introduce crisp diced pickles, sharp red onion, crunchy celery, and sharp cheddar cheese, creating a colorful medley of textures and flavors.
- Drizzle prepared dressing over the pasta mixture, gently folding ingredients to ensure uniform coating and flavor distribution.
- Seal the bowl and refrigerate for a minimum of one hour, allowing ingredients to harmonize and develop a robust taste profile.
- Prior to serving, perform a final taste assessment, fine-tuning seasoning if necessary. Optional garnish of fresh dill sprigs adds an elegant, herbaceous finishing touch to this zesty pasta salad.
Notes
- Choose short pasta shapes like rotini or shells to help the dressing cling better and create more delicious bites.
- Use high-quality dill pickles with robust flavor, preferably homemade or from a local deli for maximum taste impact.
- Swap mayonnaise with Greek yogurt for a lighter, protein-rich version that maintains creamy texture and adds tangy complexity.
- Let the pasta salad rest overnight in the refrigerator to develop deeper, more integrated flavor profiles that will make guests request seconds.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Snacks, Appetizer
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 34g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 30mg