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Easy Creamy Dill Pickle Pasta Salad

A close-up of creamy pickle pasta salad featuring rotini, diced pickles, and yellow pickle relish in a white bowl.
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Make this tangy, creamy dill pickle pasta salad for your next summer BBQ or potluck. It is a quick, crowd-pleasing side dish featuring sharp cheddar and crunchy pickles.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound rotini pasta
  • 1 cup dill pickle relish (or finely chopped dill pickles)
  • 1/2 cup chopped dill pickles (for crunch)
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, cubed or shredded
  • 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup pickle juice (from the jar)
  • 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
  • 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • Optional: 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Instructions

  1. Cook the rotini pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain the pasta and rinse immediately with cold water to stop the cooking process and cool it down. Set aside.
  2. While the pasta cooks, prepare the creamy dressing. In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, pickle juice, yellow mustard, fresh dill, and sugar until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta, dill pickle relish, chopped dill pickles, cheddar cheese, celery, and red onion. If using, add the crumbled bacon now.
  4. Pour the creamy dressing over the pasta mixture. Gently fold all ingredients together until the pasta and vegetables are evenly coated.
  5. Taste the salad and adjust seasoning if necessary, adding more salt, pepper, or pickle juice for extra tang.
  6. Cover the bowl and chill the pickle pasta salad in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving. This allows the flavors to meld.
  7. Serve cold. This salad is great for meal planning or as a side dish for cookouts.

Notes

  • For the best flavor, make this salad ahead of time; chilling for 4 hours or overnight improves the taste.
  • If you are looking for alternatives to traditional cooking methods, consider how sous-vide precision cooker techniques might apply to other parts of your meal prep.
  • If you prefer a ranch flavor, substitute 2 tablespoons of the mayonnaise with 2 tablespoons of ranch dressing.
  • If you want to avoid making your own dressing, a store-bought creamy dill dressing works well in a pinch.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://kitchenuser.net/pickle-pasta-salad-creamy-tangy-side/