Dill Pickle Pasta Salad

Pickle pasta salad on a serving plate with a spoon.

Dill pickle pasta salad is one of my top summer recipes, with pickles, red onion, fresh dill, and pickle juice. No cheese cubes here!

Course Main Course, Mains, Salad, Side Dish, Sides, Summer

Cuisine American, Canadian

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Total Time 15

Servings people

Calories 398kcal

Author Alexandra Daum

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

Serving size: this serves about four as a side or two hungry people as a main.

Storage: 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.

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.

Nutrition