Best Dill Pickle Pasta Salad with Creamy Dressing
Pickle Pasta Salad is crunchy and tangy, coated with an ultra creamy mayonnaise and sour cream-based dressing, and loaded with sharp cheddar cheese, mini dill pickles, sweet red onion, and a sprinkling of fresh chopped dill.
Enjoy this easy chilled pasta salad as a side to grilled meat and other main dishes!
One of the best things about pasta salads is how versatile they are. While warm pasta dishes, like this Slow Cooker Cajun Chicken Pasta, can be great as a comforting main meal, chilled pasta salads can be just as delicious and filling, and can be enjoyed as a side to grilled meats, casseroles, and much more!
And on the rare occasion that you have leftovers? Well, they taste even better the next day once all those flavors from the salad ingredients and tangy dressing have had to meld together and intensify.
Why You'll Love My Pickle Pasta Salad
- This pickle pasta salad comes together in less than 30 minutes with the rest of the time dedicated to marinating in the fridge while you get on with your day.
- Enjoy this chilled salad as a side dish or a main meal by adding cooked chicken or bacon for a boost or protein.
- A real crowd pleaser that's great for summer or to enjoy all year round.
The key to any tasty cold pasta salad is allowing enough time for the salad ingredients and dressing to meld together. If you are rushed for time, you can chill this pickle pasta salad for a minimum of 30 minutes, although the most flavor intensity is achieved from chilling it for the full 2 hours.
This pickle pasta salad is so good, if I'm not serving it as a side dish, I'm pairing it with crackers as a savory snack or enjoying it by the spoonful straight from the bowl!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Pasta – I've used rotini pasta (either veggie rotini or regular wheat rotini pasta), but you could also use bow-tie pasta, shells, penne, fusilli, or Cavatappi. Cook only until al dente as the pasta will continue to cook after being drained and you don't want the pasta overly soft.
- Cheddar cheese – I love cubed sharp cheddar cheese. It adds to the tangy flavor of this pickle pasta salad.
- Mini dill pickles – These add a tangy, briny, and slightly acidic flavor with a refreshing crunch to the cold pasta salad, complementing the ingredients and cheese.
- Red onion – Adds crunch and a slightly sweet taste.
- Mayonnaise – I use full-fat mayonnaise for the best flavor and creaminess, but you can use reduced-fat mayonnaise instead. I don't recommend using Miracle Whip as a substitute as it adds too much sweetness.
- Sour cream – For a tangy kick to the pasta salad dressing; however, you can use Greek Yogurt.
- Dill pickle juice – Use the dill pickle juice from the jar of mini dill pickles.
- Fresh dill – Chopped.
- Salt and pepper – Adjust according to your preference. Use a spicy mayo or add cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes for a kick of heat in this pasta salad.
Tips For Making A Delicious Cold Pasta Salad
While pasta salads are simple enough to assemble, there are some key aspects that shouldn't be overlooked if you want to make the best tasting cold pasta salad every single time! Here are my top tips:
- Stored pasta salad will absorb the dressing. Mix extra creamy dressing into your pasta salad before serving again.
- Follow the pasta package directions for the time needed to cook it. I usually shave off about 2 minutes for al dente pasta. That slightly chewy texture is what you want for your cold pasta salad.
- Run freshly boiled pasta under cold water to stop the cooking process so that the pasta doesn’t soften beyond al dente.
- Allow cooked salad components, such as chicken, bacon, and pasta, to fully cool before adding to the fresh salad ingredients and dressing.
- Serving a larger crowd? No problem! Simple double the ingredients. The chilling time will remain the same.
Make Ahead Directions
Refrigeration Instructions
You can cook the pasta the day before in preparation for making this dill pickle pasta salad.
Rinse the cooked pasta and toss it with a teaspoon of olive oil to prevent it from sticking together. Store the pasta in an airtight container in the fridge, ready to be added to the remaining ingredients when making this cold pasta salad the next day.
Storage Instructions
- Refrigeration: Once assembled and chilled, this salad is best served immediately. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days.
- Freezer: Since this pasta contains a mayo and sour cream coating, I don’t suggest freezing it as the cream-based ingredients could separate.
More Cold Pasta Salads
Pickle Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Pasta Salad
- 3 cups rotini pasta cooked and drained
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese cubed
- 1 cup of mini dill pickles sliced
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion
Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2/3 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup dill pickle juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- To a large bowl add your pasta, cheese, pickles, and onion.
- To a smaller mixing bowl add the mayonnaise, sour cream, pickle juice, dill, salt and pepper.
- Whisk to combine the dressing.
- Toss the dressing with the pasta mixture.
- Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- You can use any kind of pickle you like, spicy pickles would add a great bite of heat!
- You can use any small shell pasta.
- I like to make a little extra sauce to stir into the pasta salad the next day since the pasta can absorb a lot of the dressing.
Recipe FAQs
How long can pickle pasta salad sit out at a picnic?
Keep it on ice and aim for under 2 hours at room temp (per FDA food-safety guidelines) to keep the dairy-based dressing safe.
Can I make pickle pasta salad the night before?
Yes! Chill at least 2 hours—or overnight—for maximum dill flavor. Add a spoon of extra dressing before serving if it looks dry.
What kind of pickles work best?
Mini dill pickles keep slices bite-size, but any dill, spicy, or garlic pickle variety (chips or spears) works—use the same juice for dressing.
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