Description
Cool summer gatherings call for this Dill Pickle Pasta Salad, packed with tangy pickles, creamy dressing, and crisp vegetables. Crunchy, zesty, and irresistibly satisfying, you’ll savor every refreshing bite of this crowd-pleasing side dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 box (16 ounces / 454 grams) rotini pasta
- 2 cups chopped baby dill pickles
- 1 block (8 ounces / 227 grams) Colby Jack cheese, cubed small
- 1 small white onion, finely chopped
Dressing Ingredients:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill (or 1 tablespoon dried dill)
- 1/3 cup dill pickle juice from the pickle jar
Seasoning:
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with water, add a pinch of salt, and bring to a vigorous boil at high heat. Add rotini pasta and cook until al dente, approximately 8-10 minutes.
- Drain pasta in a colander and immediately rinse with cold water to stop cooking process. Allow pasta to cool completely.
- Transfer cooled pasta to a spacious mixing bowl and drizzle pickle juice over noodles. Gently stir to ensure even coating and let marinate for 5-7 minutes.
- Dice baby dill pickles, Colby Jack cheese, and white onion into uniform small cubes. For minimal onion tears, briefly chill onion before chopping.
- Drain excess pickle juice from pasta, ensuring minimal liquid remains in the bowl.
- Combine chopped pickles, cheese, and onion with marinated pasta. Mix thoroughly to distribute ingredients evenly.
- Whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, additional pickle juice, fresh dill, salt, and pepper in a separate bowl until smooth and consistent.
- Pour dressing over pasta mixture, folding gently to coat all ingredients completely without breaking pasta pieces.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours to allow flavors to meld and intensify.
- Serve chilled, preferably within 4-6 hours of preparation for optimal taste and texture.
Notes
- Soaking pasta in pickle juice adds a tangy flavor boost that transforms the entire dish, creating a unique taste profile.
- Chilling onions before chopping minimizes eye irritation and makes the cutting process more comfortable and tear-free.
- Mix dressing ingredients thoroughly to ensure a smooth, even coating that distributes flavor throughout the salad.
- Prepare the salad a few hours in advance to allow flavors to meld and intensify, resulting in a more delicious final dish.
- Swap mayonnaise for Greek yogurt to reduce calories, or use gluten-free pasta for a celiac-friendly version.
- Drain pasta completely to prevent watery dressing and maintain the salad’s creamy consistency.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Lunch, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 23 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 29 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg