Creamy Dill Pickle Pasta Salad

5 stars

This dill pickle pasta salad is creamy, tangy, and loaded with plenty of crunchy pickles, fresh dill, salty bacon, and spicy cheese. It's easy to make ahead and perfect for parties, cookouts, or an easy weeknight side dish!

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Total Time30

Course: Dinner / Lunch

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 468kcal

Author: Rachel Kochlin

Ingredients

Pasta Salad

16 oz short pasta cooked
1 ½ cups chopped dill pickles
6 ounces pepper jack cheese cut into small pieces
½ cup diced celery
¼ cup diced red onion
¼ cup chopped fresh dill plus more for garnish
½ pound cooked bacon chopped (optional)

Dressing

¾ cup mayonnaise
½ cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
⅓ cup pickle juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
⅛ - ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
½ teaspoon salt or to taste
Fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Instructions

Add all pasta ingredients to a large bowl and toss to combine.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients.
Pour the dressing over the pasta salad and mix to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Optional: Reserve ¼-1/3 cup of dressing to mix in right before serving.
Garnish with fresh dill before serving.

Notes

Tips for Success

Don't overcook the pasta. Cook the pasta just until al dente, so it holds its shape and doesn't become too soft once mixed with the dressing.
Rinse the pasta. Rinse the cooked pasta under cold water to stop the cooking process and cool it down before adding the dressing. Drain well so excess water doesn't water down the dressing.
Chop everything small. Finely chop the onion, celery, and fresh dill so you get a little bit of everything in each bite, but I like to keep the cheese, bacon, and pickles a bit larger.
Let it chill. Refrigerate the pasta salad for at least 1 hour before serving so it's nice and cold, and the flavors have time to come together.

Storing

Store leftover dill pickle pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Give it a mix before serving, and add a splash of pickle juice or a little more dressing if the pasta salad has dried out.

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