I am a genuine dill pickle fiend – I used to drink pickle juice hiding under the table as a child so my mum couldn’t find me, and burned a hole in my stomach from the vinegar as a teen. So dill pickle pasta salad is, obviously, one of my top summer salad recipes, with loads of pickles, red onion, fresh dill, and pickle juice in a mayo-based sauce. No cheese cubes here even though this is a very prairie salad!
Please note that this is a slightly lighter version than you might be used to, with less mayonnaise, fresh dill, and whole grain pasta. I think it’s more suited to hot weather as the classic salad is pretty heavy and makes everyone sleepy. This is a lot like a good potato salad but with pasta in place of potatoes.
Recipe Rundown: Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
- Texture: pasta is the main texture here but you do get crunch from the pickles and onion and some smooth richness from the mayo and a hint of olive oil.
- Flavour: very dill! You’re using lots of dill pickles, pickle juice, and fresh dill, so you end up with a pasta salad that tastes like a dill pickle with a hint of creaminess from the mayo. This is a fairly acidic dish.
- Difficulty: easy. Make the dressing while the pasta cooks and you’ll have the salad ready in less than 15 minutes.
Ingredients
- Dill pickles: pictured are lacto-fermented dill pickles, which are a little different, but you can’t get proper pickles in Germany (where I photographed this recipe) and these are the closest thing. I personally prefer Canadian-style dill pickles for this but you could use lacto-fermented or refrigerator pickles if you prefer it to be a little less acidic and lower on the vinegar.
- Pasta: use a short pasta with lots of ridges to pick up the dressing. If you don’t like whole grain pasta, use white instead, or gluten-free if needed.
- Mayonnaise: use a vegan mayo alternative if preferred.
- Mustard: Dijon mustard is best but a good spicy German mustard will work too. Don’t use yellow hotdog mustard.
- Olive oil: this keeps the salad rich and creamy but is a bit less heavy than using all mayonnaise. You can sub more mayo for the oil if you prefer. I think sour cream or Greek-style yogurt would be good too but haven’t tested that.
- Dill: fresh dill makes all the difference and shouldn’t be left out. It and the onion add some much needed freshness.
For more dill recipes, try my crunchy dill pickle sauerkraut, vegetarian borscht, and green dense bean salad.
Step by Step Photos
Step 1: mix the dressing while the water is coming to a boil for the pasta and set aside.
Step 2: while the pasta is cooking, prepare the onion and pickles.
Step 3: mix the hot pasta with the onion, pickles, and pickle juice.
Step 4: mix everything together, season to taste, and serve.
How to Store
The pasta salad will keep for a couple of days in a sealed container in the refrigerator, but like with most pasta dishes, it’s best the day it’s made. The pasta can get a bit soggy when stored.
Expert Tips
- Adjust the acidity: you might want to add some extra vinegar – probably not if you use standard dill pickles – but this will depend on personal taste. I added vinegar because I used lacto-fermented pickles, which are much less sour, but when I make this back home in Canada (or with proper pickles) I don’t add any extra vinegar to the salad.
- Season to taste: you may need more or less salt depending on how salty the pickle juice is. I recommend starting with no salt, then tasting and seeing if any is needed once the salad is fully mixed.
- Choose good pickles: if you’re looking for a recipe to use up some pickles you didn’t really like, this isn’t it. It’s a dill pickle pasta salad and it’s going to taste like the pickles you use so be sure to choose a type you like!
- Give it a bit of time: the salad is very good served immediately, but hits a sweet spot if left at room temperature for about half an hour before serving. If you have the time, leave it for a little while to boost the overall flavour.
More Summer Pasta Recipes
Vegetable Udon Noodle Stir Fry
Easy Summer Pasta
Super Green Pasta
Roasted Summer Vegetable Pasta
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Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
Description
Ingredients
- 250 grams short pasta pictured is whole grain
- 6 dill pickles sliced
- 1 small red onion very finely diced
- 100 ml (~⅓ cup) pickle juice
Dressing
- 50 grams (~¼ cup) mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons olive oil replace with more mayonnaise if preferred
- 50 ml (~¼ cup) pickle juice
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Handful fresh dill chopped
Instructions
- Start by cooking the pasta in plenty of well-seasoned water according to package instructions.250 grams short pasta
- While the water is coming to a boil for the pasta, cut the pickles and onion. Set aside.6 dill pickles, 1 small red onion
- While the pasta is cooking, prepare the dressing. Add the mayonnaise, olive oil, 50 ml (~¼ cup) pickle juice, mustard, and pepper to a bowl and whisk well to combine. Stir in the chopped dill.50 grams (~¼ cup) mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 50 ml (~¼ cup) pickle juice, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon black pepper, Handful fresh dill
- Once the pasta is cooked, drain and transfer to a large bowl. Add the chopped pickles and onions, then pour over the 100 ml (~⅓ cup) pickle juice. Stir well.100 ml (~⅓ cup) pickle juice
- Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture and stir again to combine. Taste the pasta salad and check if it needs any salt before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.