Quick and easy Dill Pickle Pasta Salad combines cellentani pasta, dill pickles, sharp cheddar, and fresh dill in a creamy mayonnaise and sour cream base. What’s not to love about a chilled pasta salad with dill pickles and sweet fresh dill?
This tasty dish takes about 20 minutes to make, and it is the ideal side dish for all your summer grilling and a nice change from potato salad. If you like this recipe with fresh dill, try dill pickle potato salad, creamy dill pickle soup, and lemon dill baked tilapia.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Mayonnaise: I am partial to real mayo and especially fond of Duke’s mayo. However, I am sure this salad would taste equally delicious with Miracle Whip.
- Sour cream: I prefer full-fat sour cream, but you can use reduced-fat.
- Dill: Please use chopped fresh dill for optimal flavor.
- Pasta: cellentani, corkscrew, rotini, or elbow pasta
- Dill pickles: I like the baby dill pickles for this salad, but any size dill pickle works as long as you cut them up.
- Cheese: Cut the cheese into small cubes. Other cheese that works well with this recipe are white cheddar, Pepper Jack, Monterey Jack, and Colby Jack Cheese.
How to Make Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
This is the summary version; for the complete list of ingredients and instructions, see the recipe card below.
Start by cooking your pasta al dente according to package instructions and draining it well. Rinse a little cold water over the pasta and toss in the colander to stop the cooking process. Add the pasta to a large bowl.
In a small bowl, stir the mayonnaise, sour cream, pickle juice, onion powder, and fresh dill. Stir the mayonnaise mixture, dill pickles, and cubed cheddar cheese into the pasta. Season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped fresh dill or fresh parsley.
Preparation Tips and Storage
- This pasta salad can be made up to 2 days in advance, but wait until you are ready to serve to toss it with the dressing.
- Keep this salad covered and refrigerated until ready to serve.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. If it is a little dry, add a bit of mayo, sour cream, or a splash of pickle juice.
Recipe Variations for Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
- Seasonings: Other seasonings to experiment with include garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, or even a little Cajun seasoning.
- Meat: Make it a full meal by adding protein such as ham, chicken, or bacon
- Vegetables: Add other fresh veggies such as cherry tomatoes, celery, bell peppers, and red onion for added flavor and texture.
More Pasta Salads
Dill Pickle Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Salad Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup dill pickle juice from the pickle jar
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh dill plus more for garnish
Pasta
- 1 lb. cellentani or corkscrew pasta
- 2 cups diced baby dill pickles plus more for garnish
- 1½ cups cubed sharp cheddar cheese
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook your pasta al dente according to the package directions. Drain in a colander and rinse with a little cold water to stop the cooking process and keep your pasta from sticking. Drain well and add the pasta to a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream, pickle juice, onion powder, and fresh dill.
- Stir the mayonnaise mixture, dill pickles, and cheddar cheese cubes into the pasta.
- Season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped fresh dill.
Notes
- This pasta salad can be made up to 2 days in advance, but wait until you are ready to serve to toss it with the dressing.
- Keep this salad covered and refrigerated until ready to serve.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. If it is a little dry, add a bit of mayo, sour cream, or a splash of pickle juice.
Nutrition
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Maya
I love a good dill pickle pasta salad but the last one I may needed a little something until I found yours. I sort of combined things from the two and added to mine a quarter cup of diced red onion and a small can of sliced black olives, so delicious and my neighbors are going to love it!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Maya!
Michelle
Whoaaaaa, this was such a great pasta recipe! I made it for the family over the weekend with some grilled burgers. We are loving the warmer weather and I plan on making this often over the summer. Thanks for the recipe.
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome, Michelle!
Catherine
I love anything with dill pickles, and adding them to pasta salad with cheddar just makes so much sense!
Joy
I love this. my family and I made it for dinner. There were no left overs
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Joy!
Lisa
Okay, now you have me ready to head to the store to grab some of the ingredients. I love both pickles and pasta so this salad is perfect for me.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Lisa! Enjoy!
Amy
Oh my gosh, I love everything about this recipe.
I made this and it was so delicious! Everyone loves it!
Beth Pierce
Thank-you, Amy!
Catherine
This is my favorite pasta salad to make. A perfect pair of my BBQ or steak!
Emily
I’ve been on such a dill pickle kick lately, and this came at just the right time. It was delicious and easy to make. Thank you for the great recipe!
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine.
Charlotte
I made this last night to go with pulled pork sandwiches, and we loved it. I can’t wait to bust this out when we have our summer BBQs!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Charlotte! We love it too!