Dill pickle pasta salad is creamy, tangy and a little bit sweet. I crave this recipe as soon as the weather warms up and it's on rotation all summer long at our house. Whip up this crowd-pleaser in under 30 minutes!
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Pickle infused pasta salad is a summer-time favorite. Take it to a backyard cookout or potluck and everyone will be asking you for the recipe. You might even catch someone licking the bowl clean.
If by some miracle you have leftovers, you're in luck because they'll make an awesome lunch the next day.
This recipe goes great with teriyaki grilled chicken, air fryer salmon bites, air fryer chicken bites, burgers, hot dogs and more. And I actually really love serving it with meatloaf, too!
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Why You'll Love It 💚
It's delicious: Crunchy pickles, homemade dill dressing, crumbly feta and tender pasta are truly the perfect combination. Your tastebuds are going to be delighted!
Fast: This recipe is quick, low-chop and ready in 30 minutes. If you need a quick side for dinner or the neighborhood bbq, you can get this done in a flash.
Versatile: Pickley pasta salad goes well with a lot of mains and it's great with any grilled protein from steak, chicken and salmon to hot dogs and burgers.
Potluck perfection: Make this recipe ahead of time for a potluck! If you're making it more than a couple hours in advance I'd store the dressing and pasta separately so the noodles don't soak up too much sauce before serving.
Your Grocery List:
- Pasta: I prefer rotini noodles because the spirals hold lots of sauce which tastes great. But you can totally use whatever shape you like!
- Dill pickles: Some people swear by baby dills for pickle pasta salad, but I just dice larger dill pickles into small pieces. Other types of pickles will work too, so feel free to save your pennies and use what's in the fridge.
- Feta cheese crumbles: Goat cheese and blue cheese are good substitutes. You can also dice cheddar or Colby jack into little pieces.
- Mayo: Both light and regular mayonnaise will work well in this recipe.
- Plain Greek yogurt: Or sour cream is a good substitute.
- Dill pickle juice: Straight from the pickle jar!
- Dijon mustard: For a bit of extra tanginess.
- Honey: A touch of sweet honey makes all the difference in this recipe. It balances the flavors perfectly.
- Seasonings: Salt, ground black pepper, dried oregano and dried dill weed. You can also use fresh dill, it can be found in the produce section rather than the spices aisle.
How To Make Pickle Pasta Salad
Keep scrolling for the full recipe card and measurements. We’ll start here with a quick overview!
Cook pasta & make dressing:
- Boil a large pot of salted water on the stovetop and cook pasta to al dente according to package directions.
- While pasta is simmering, make your dill dressing! Combine mayo, Greek yogurt, pickle juice, dijon, honey and seasonings in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.
Assemble salad:
- Once your pasta timer goes off, drain and rinse really well with cold water to stop the cooking process and chill noodles.
- Add cold pasta to a large bowl. Slice pickles and add them to the bowl along with feta cheese crumbles. Stir everything together.
Add dressing:
- Now pour homemade dill dressing over pasta and stir well to coat!
Serve and enjoy:
- Garnish with a sprinkle of dill if desired. Serve immediately or cover and store in the fridge. Enjoy!
Stacey's Top Tips 🥒
- Salt: Salt your pasta water! It adds nice flavor.
- Rinse well: Be thorough when rinsing your cooked pasta in cold water. This chills the noodles so that your salad can be served immediately and stops the cooking process which keeps pasta from getting mushy.
- Refresh: If you put this salad in the fridge for later and it soaks up too much dressing, you can add an extra splash of pickle juice and stir well to freshen things up.
Recipe Variations
Extra colorful: Tri-color rotini noodles could be used in this salad to make it extra fun and colorful.
Pasta shape: Bow tie, macaroni, ditalini, shells, penne, cavatappi, orecchiette! Save money and use whatever shape pasta you have on hand.
Pickles: Try this recipe with sweet pickles, spicy pickles, garlic pickles, any kind you like. Grillo, Vlassic, Claussen - any brand will do. 💚 And you can even mix different pickles together!
Protein: Flake up a can of tuna or salmon and mix into your pasta salad. You may need some extra dressing when trying this.
Cheese: I love crumbled feta in this recipe. It's delicious and requires no chopping or shredding! But if preferred, you can dice up some Colby jack or cheddar cheese for your pasta salad.
Other mix-in ideas: Smoked sausage, diced salami, finely diced red or white onion, bacon crumbles, black olives, kalamata olives, sweet corn kernels, hard boiled eggs, pickled jalapeños, diced celery or bell peppers.
Make Ahead & Storage Instructions
Make ahead: Store prepared salad in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving. If the noodles soak up dressing, stir in a splash of pickle juice to refresh. Making it a day or two in advance? I recommend refrigerating pasta mixture and dressing separately. Mix together right before serving!
Storing leftovers: Place leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate 3-4 days. Stir in a splash of pickle juice or water to refresh if necessary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes you can! Athletes often drink pickle juice to help with muscle cramps. Some people buy pickle juice to use in cocktails, dressings and marinades. For this recipe, I just use juice straight from the pickle jar.
I haven't tried this, but assume it would work fine. However, the flavor profile won't be quite the same because Greek yogurt and sour cream are tangier than mayonnaise.
You could try this, but relish isn't going to have the same crunchy texture as diced pickles! So the flavor would likely be amazing, but the texture would be lacking. I feel like relish would be better for a creamy pickle dip.
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Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
Equipment
- 1 Large pot & colander *for boiling & draining pasta
- 1 Small bowl *for mixing dressing
- 1 Large bowl *for assembling salad
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 1 16 ounce package dry rotini pasta
- ¾ cup diced dill pickles
- ⅔ cup feta cheese crumbles *see note below
Dressing Ingredients
- ½ cup mayonnaise *low fat or regular
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt *or sub sour cream
- ⅓ cup dill pickle juice *from the jar
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried dill *Fresh dill also works, I just like the convenience of dried.
Recipe Notes:
General: I recommend chopping pickles up nice and small! It makes the salad extra yummy and easy to eat. Cheese: Blue or goat cheese crumbles are great substitutes.Instructions
- Place a large pot of salted water on the stovetop (I add about a tablespoon of salt to my water). Bring it to a rolling boil, add pasta, and cook to al dente according to package instructions.1 16 ounce package dry rotini pasta
- While pasta cooks, combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well until smooth! Give your dressing a quick taste test and adjust seasonings if desired.½ cup mayonnaise, ½ cup plain Greek yogurt, ⅓ cup dill pickle juice, 2 tablespoons dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons honey, ¾ teaspoon salt, ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper, ¾ teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon dried dill
- When your pasta timer goes off, drain and rinse really well with cold water to chill the noodles.
- Add cold cooked pasta to a large bowl along with diced pickles and feta cheese crumbles. Mix well.¾ cup diced dill pickles, ⅔ cup feta cheese crumbles
- Pour dressing over pasta mixture and stir until everything is coated. Serve immediately and enjoy or cover and place in the fridge for later!
Make-Ahead Notes:
- Store fully assembled salad in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving. If the noodles soak up dressing, stir in a splash of pickle juice to refresh. Making it a day or two in advance? Store pasta mixture and dressing separately and combine before serving.
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