Dill Pickle Pasta Salad

This dill pickle pasta salad recipe is always a hit, especially with dill pickle lovers! With simple ingredients like elbow macaroni, dill pickles, cheddar cheese, chives and a deliciously creamy dressing, it’s a cinch to make and a great addition to those casual summertime get-togethers and barbecues.

Pasta salad is obviously something that can be enjoyed all throughout the year, but I often think of it as more of a summertime dish. You too?

This dill pickle pasta salad, like many pasta salad recipes, is a breeze to put together and always a welcomed addition to a summer barbecue or picnic. You can prep it a day in advance, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator and pull it out when you’re ready. It’s the best kind of recipe for easy and casual entertaining.

Fan of dill pickle flavoured recipes? Check out this dill pickle pizza (it’s so good)!

Ingredients

• Elbow macaroni: This recipe calls for 2 cups (or about 8 ounces) of dried elbow macaroni.
• Dill pickles: The star ingredient! I love using Kosher dill pickles.
• Cheddar cheese: I used marble cheddar cheese, but any variety of cheddar will work. Just use something you enjoy.
• Chives: Chives add a mild onion flavour and a pop of colour to the pasta salad.
• Mayonnaise: I prefer to use full-fat (or regular) mayonnaise so this dressing is rich and creamy.
• Ranch dressing: Goes so well with dill pickle pasta salad. Feel free to substitute with an equal amount of mayonnaise if you prefer.
• Dill pickle juice: Make good use of that dill pickle juice from your jar of pickles. Not only does it thin out the pasta salad dressing a little, it’s packed with flavour!
• Seasoning: Includes some pantry staples, such as dried dill, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper.

How To Make Dill Pickle Pasta Salad

Here is an overview of how to make dill pickle pasta salad (full details are in the recipe card below):

1. Cook the pasta. Then, rinse, drain and rinse again.
2. Make the creamy dill dressing.
3. Add the pasta salad ingredients, including the dressing, to a bowl,
4. Stir to combine, then garnish with chives if you like. There ya have it, an easy dill pickle pasta salad recipe that’s ready to be devoured!

What To Serve With It

This dill pickle pasta salad pairs wonderfully with other salads and mains. It’s a fantastic addition to a summer barbecue or picnic. Some of my favourite things to pair with it are:

• Prosciutto and blue cheese burger
• Veggie sandwich
• Chicken prosciutto sandwich
• Kabobs
• Grilled chicken
• Pan-fried or barbecued pork chops
• Steak

Can I Make This Salad Ahead of Time?

Definitely! You can prep this dill pickle pasta salad a few hours up to a day ahead, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator, then pull it out when you are ready.

Just keep in mind that like many creamy pasta salad recipes (especially those that are mayo-based), it will seize up a bit once chilled (the dressing won’t be quite as lush when eaten straight out of the fridge). Be sure to remove the salad from the fridge about 10 to 15 minutes before you are ready to enjoy and give it a good stir before serving.

Tips and Variations

• Minimize excess moisture: Be sure to drain the cooked pasta well and pat the chopped pickles dry of excess moisture with some paper towels. You don’t want to add unnecessary liquid to your pasta salad. Too much excess moisture will thin out your dressing too much (the dressing should be rich and creamy … yum!).
• Pasta type: Elbow macaroni is a pretty popular choice for pasta salad. Having said that, you can use another variety of pasta, such as farfelle (bow tie), rotini or small shells.
• Pasta cook time: When making pasta salad, I always like to cook the pasta about a minute or two longer that what the package instructions say. I find that the pasta tends to firm up once it cools, so I like to cook it a little longer. That way, it’ll end up at the perfect texture for the salad.
• Onion options: Chives add a nice pop of colour and freshness to the salad. They’re not overly pungent in onion flavour. But if you do prefer more onion taste, you can substitute with green onion or some finely diced white or yellow onion.
• Dill: You can use fresh or dried dill in this pasta salad. If using dried dill, you’ll want about 2 teaspoons. If using fresh dill, you’ll want about 2 tablespoons.
• Add protein: If you want to make the pasta salad more substantial, you can totally add in some cooked chicken, crispy bacon or canned tuna (if using canned tuna, be sure to drain it well before adding it to the salad).

More Easy Salad Recipes

• Lobster Pasta Salad
• Creamy Greek Pasta Salad
• Cauliflower Broccoli Salad

If you try this dill pickle pasta salad recipe, be sure to leave a comment below!