Dill pickle pasta salad is a creamy, tangy pasta salad for people who love pickles: short pasta, plenty of chopped dill pickles, sharp cheddar and fresh dill in a mayo and sour cream dressing loosened with pickle brine. It is made ahead, travels well, and is the first bowl emptied at a cookout. For a twist with more savory bite, fold in a handful of pickled white shimeji mushrooms; their brine is dill and garlic too.
What makes a good dill pickle pasta salad
Short pasta with ridges
Rotini, mini shells or small bow ties catch the dressing and the little pieces of pickle. Cook it just past al dente; it softens a bit in the fridge.
Cold pasta, every time
Rinse the pasta under cold water and let it cool completely before it meets the dressing. Warm pasta melts the mayo into an oily mess.
Pickle brine in the dressing
The brine is what makes it taste of pickle all the way through, not just where there is a piece of one. Keep some back to loosen the salad before serving, because the pasta soaks up dressing as it sits.
Add pickled mushrooms
Pickles bring tang; pickled mushrooms bring tang and a meaty bite, which turns a side dish into something closer to a main. Our pickled white shimeji are the natural fit, because their brine is made with dill and garlic, just like a dill pickle's, and the small crisp clusters mix right through the pasta. For a firmer, chunkier bite, use chopped pickled crimini or pickled black shimeji.
"I was mostly worried they would be mushy, but the texture is actually really nice and firm. The black shimeji has been great in salads."
— Evan B., Golden Grove customer
Dill pickle pasta salad recipe
Serves 10 to 12 as a side. About 30 minutes, plus at least 1 hour in the fridge.
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g) short pasta, such as rotini or mini shells
- 2 cups chopped dill pickles
- ⅓ cup pickle brine, plus a little extra for serving
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 1½ cups (6 oz) diced or shredded sharp cheddar
- ¼ cup finely chopped red onion
- 2 to 3 tbsp chopped fresh dill
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ to 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup pickled white shimeji, drained (optional)
- Salt, to taste
Method
- Cook the pasta in well-salted boiling water until just al dente. Drain, rinse under cold water and let it cool completely.
- Whisk the mayonnaise, sour cream, pickle brine, onion powder and pepper together in a large bowl.
- Add the cooled pasta, pickles, cheddar, red onion, dill and pickled mushrooms, if using, and toss until everything is coated.
- Taste before adding salt; the pickles and brine are already salty.
- Cover and chill for at least 1 hour. Before serving, stir in a splash of brine to loosen it and scatter over more dill.
Variations
Bacon ranch
Stir in crumbled bacon and swap the onion powder for a spoonful of dry ranch seasoning.
With chicken
Add 2 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken to make it a meal.
Lighter, no mayo
Use all sour cream, or half Greek yogurt, in place of the mayonnaise. Tangier, and just as good.
Pickled mushroom pasta salad
Use 1 cup of chopped pickled crimini and 1 cup of white shimeji in place of half the pickles, and add a handful of halved cherry tomatoes. Savory, sharp and colorful.
Make it ahead
- The day before is ideal. Make it the night before and loosen it with brine before serving.
- How long it keeps: 3 to 4 days covered in the fridge, the same as other macaroni salads. It doesn't freeze well.
- At a picnic or cookout: keep it in a cooler until serving, and don't leave it out for more than two hours, or one hour if it is above 90°F.
Dill pickle pasta salad questions
How long does dill pickle pasta salad last?
3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge.
Can I make it the day before?
Yes. It tastes better after a night in the fridge. Keep a little brine back to loosen it before serving.
What pasta is best for pasta salad?
Short shapes that hold dressing: rotini, mini shells, small bow ties or elbow macaroni.
Why did my pasta salad go dry?
The pasta keeps absorbing the dressing as it sits. Stir in a splash of pickle brine, or a spoonful of mayo, just before serving.
What goes with dill pickle pasta salad?
Burgers, hot dogs, grilled chicken, ribs and pulled pork. It is a cookout and potluck side.
The short version
A pound of short pasta, two cups of chopped dill pickles, cheddar, dill, and a mayo and sour cream dressing with plenty of brine, cooled and chilled. For more savory bite, fold in pickled white shimeji, or mix and match jars in a Build Your Variety Pack. For other ways to use them, see what to do with pickled mushrooms.