Every bite screams dill pickle in the best possible way in this incredibly tasty Dill Pickle Pasta Salad, which features a creamy homemade dill pickle dressing (sans mayo).
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This zesty, pickle-forward pasta salad recipe is what all pasta salads aspire to be. We’re talking perfectly cooked (rotelle) pasta tossed with sliced gherkins, cute little cubes of Havarti dill cheese, acerbic pops from diced red onion, and freshly chopped dill, all coated in a lovely, acidic Dill Pickle Salad Dressing.
This super easy, 5-ingredient Dill Pickle Salad Dressing is a must for this salad! It makes just the exact amount you’ll need to coat the pasta.
If you like mayo-less foods, you might also try this creamy dill cucumber salad or this chilled spinach dip.
Why You Will Love This Pickle Pasta Salad Recipe
- Pasta Salad Without Mayo. This is THE salad for those of you who just can't with mayonnaise in pasta salads. This pickle pasta salad is made delicious without the addition of mayo, thanks to an oil-based dill pickle salad dressing.
- For Pickle Lovers. Every bite screams dill pickle in the best possible way. This pasta salad is a pickle lover's dream.
If you love pasta salad you've got to try my tuna pasta salad and Tex-Mex pasta salad next!
Ingredients
This dill-icious pasta salad recipe calls for the following ingredients.
- Rotelle pasta: Rotini or bowtie are good options as well. I require that it be a fun pasta shape; more fun than penne (at a minimum).
- Gherkins (mini pickles): I used Gedney. I like mini pickles here for their size and ease of preparation. But you can use whatever pickle you like here, just as long as it’s a dill pickle!
- Havarti dill cheese: Not a requirement that you use Havarti dill, but I like that it keeps with the flavor theme of this pasta salad. You can reach for classics like cheddar or Colby Jack if you'd prefer.
- Red onion: Use a yellow onion or shallot instead or a few finely sliced spring onions. Or leave the onion out if you aren't a fan.
- Dill: I like the fresh dill but it's perfectly fine to use dried dill instead; replace the fresh dill with 1 - 2 teaspoons of dried dill.
- Pickle Dressing: My recipe infuses the salad with even more dill pickle flavor!
- Trader Joe’s Dill Pickle Seasoning: Optional, but highly recommended!
*A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below - keep scrolling!
Variations
Add a twist to the basic recipe with these suggested variations:
- Add meat. This is a vegetarian-friendly pasta, but you can certainly add cured meats to the mix if you’d like - try adding pepperoni or salami!
- Vegan. To make this vegan-friendly, leave out or replace the Havarti dill cheese with a non-dairy substitute.
- Change up the dressing. Explore the many variations of Dill Pickle Vinaigrette including, Spicy, Garlic, Ranch, and Lemon Pepper.
- More veggies. Other add-ins to consider are fresh or pickled jalapenos, sliced celery, or sliced coins of zucchini or cucumber.
How to Make Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
- Prepare the dressing and refrigerate it until needed.
- Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package instructions in salted water. When cooked, strain the cooked pasta and run cold water over it until the pasta is cool. This stops the pasta from cooking further.
- Prep the other salad ingredients: Slice the pickles (I used a mandolin), finely dice the red onion, finely chop the dill, and cut the Havarti dill cheese into cubes (or shred it if you prefer).
- Add the strained and chilled pasta to a large bowl, along with the pickles, red onion, dill, and cheese.
- Add about ¾ cup of the dressing and stir to combine. Reserve the rest of the salad dressing.
- Refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours. When ready to serve, add the rest of the dressing and stir it in. Enjoy!
Pasta Salad Storage
Store any leftovers in a lidded container in the refrigerator. For best results, use within 3-4 days. If the salad could use some more hydration after a day or two, whip up some additional dressing or add a few splashes of pickle juice.
Expert Tips
- Good Ingredients. Take the time to make the homemade Dill Pickle Salad Dressing. Go out of your way to get Havarti dill cheese. Include fresh dill. These touches make this pickle pasta salad recipe truly special.
- Cooking the Pasta. Don’t forget to salt the water the pasta cooks in! And please cook it al dente so the noodles can absorb that pickle dressing.
- Dry Pasta Salad. If the pasta seems to have really absorbed all of the dressing, you can add a few splashes of pickle juice to quickly add moisture.
- Making the Dressing. Use a blender or food processor to make quick work of that homemade Dill Pickle Vinaigrette.
Recipe FAQs
You can make the dressing the day ahead, no problem. I recommend chilling in the refrigerator at least 2 hours before serving.
Any short-shaped pasta is perfect for pasta salad! I like rotelle and rotini pasta shapes because they hold the dressing well, as do macaroni, cavatappi, or bowtie pasta shapes. Make it fun because you already know this is going to be a delicious pickle pasta salad.
YES! I recommend rinsing pasta with cold water after cooking it if you plan to use it in a pasta salad. Why? It rinses off any excess starch (too much starch means sticky pasta), and it prevents the pasta from overcooking, the cold running water allowing it to cool much faster during rinsing.
Other Dill-icous Pickle Recipes
There are so many dill-icious things you can do with pickles. I am HERE for big dill pickle summer, yo!
If you tried this pasta salad recipe with pickles (or any other recipe on Midwexican), please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it turned out in the 📝 comments below!
Dill Pickle Pasta Salad (without Mayo)
Equipment
Ingredients
Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
- 16 ounces rotelle pasta
- 1 ¼ cup gherkins (mini pickles) (sliced with a mandolin)
- 1 cup Havarti dill cheese cubed
- ¼ cup red onion finely diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill chopped
- ¾ cup + ¼ cup Dill Pickle Salad Dressing
- ½ tablespoon Trader Joe’s Dill Pickle Seasoning (optional)
Dill Pickle Salad Dressing
- ⅔ cup canola oil
- ⅓ cup pickle juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon chopped dill dried
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper, to taste (optional)
Instructions
Dickle Pickle Salad Dressing
- Add pickle juice, Dijon mustard, dried dill, and garlic powder to a blender or food processor.
- Start the blender or food processor. Slowly start drizzling in the canola oil, keeping the blender or food processor running the entire time.
- Turn off the blender or food processor once you’ve added all of the canola oil. This should only take 1 - 2 minutes.
- Taste and adjust seasonings - you may want to add salt and pepper, or maybe even some cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes. If you add any seasonings, pulse a few times to combine.
- Refrigerate in a lidded container, like a Mason jar, until ready to use. Shake the Dill PickleSalad Dressing vigorously before each use.
Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
- Next, prepare the pasta according to the package instructions - don’t forget to salt the water the pasta cooks in! And cook it al dente! (The pasta package should have cooking instructions for this).
- Strain the cooked pasta and run cold water over it until the pasta is cool - doing so prevents the pasta from continuing to cook.
- Prep the other salad ingredients: Slice the pickles (I used a Mandolin), finely dice the red onion, finely chop the dill, and cut the Havarti dill cheese into cubes (or shred it if you prefer).
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