Dill Pickle Pasta Salad

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword best-dill-pickle-pasta-salad-recipe, dill-pickle-pasta-salad, easy-pasta-salad-recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Chill time 4

Total Time 4 40

Servings servings

Calories 183kcal

1 16 oz box cavatappi or twisted macaroni pasta
1 1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 8 oz container sour cream
1/3 cup dill pickle juice
1 1.0 oz packet dry ranch dressing mix
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp granulated garlic or garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 16 oz jar sliced dill pickles (Drain reserve 1/3 cup juice) quartered reserve a few slices for garnishing.
1 8oz ham steak cubed
1 medium red onion diced
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 Tbsp fresh chopped dill plus additional for garnishing

Cook pasta in salted water per the package directions until al dente. Drain well and set aside to cool slightly.
In a large bowl whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, pickle juice, ranch dressing mix, salt, black pepper, granulated garlic and onion powder. (You can make the dressing one day in advance for a timesaver.)
Stack the pickles and quarter using a sharp knife. To the bowl add pickles, ham and red onion. Mix to combine using a large spoon or rubber spatula.
After draining the pasta, add it to the ingredients in the mixing bowl. Stir to fully coat the pasta with the dressing then set aside to cool slightly (or chill in the fridge for 10 minutes).
Add the shredded cheese and fresh dill to the pasta salad. Mix to fully combine.
Cover and chill for 2-4 hours then serve garnished with pickle slices and chopped dill.

Protein Variations: I use ham in this recipe inspired by those simple retro ham, dill pickle and cream cheese appetizers that go so well together. You can make dill pickle pasta salad with bacon, diced chicken, diced turkey or salami in place of ham. You may also opt to omit it altogether if you want a meatless option.

Pasta: You could use a similar shaped pasta. Rotini, elbow macaroni or penne pasta.

Vegetables: You may like to add more fresh veggies to the mix. Cherry tomatoes, black olives or celery for crunch. You can also garnish with fresh parsley or fresh basil leaves.

Vinegar: You can add one or two tablespoons of red wine vinegar and reduce the amount of dill pickle juice.

Cheese Substitutions: Sharp cheddar cheese holds up well to the bold pickle flavor in this salad. You could use another flavor like pepper jack cheese or mozzarella cheese, if that's your preference. Otherwise, good ole cheddar will do the trick. Likewise, you can make dill pickle pasta salad without cheese, if there's a dietary restriction.