Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
Dill Pickle Pasta Salad transforms your favorite bar snack, fried pickles, into a refreshing, crave-worthy side dish! Tossed with a creamy, tangy dressing and finished with a crispy panko topping, this fun and foolproof salad is anything but ordinary and will be the standout at your next gathering.
If you’re a pickle lover like me, this Dill Pickle Pasta Salad is about to become your new obsession! It’s creamy, tangy, crunchy, and packed with bold dill flavor in every bite. A unique twist on classic pasta salad that’s unexpected in the best way, perfect for BBQs, picnics, or anytime you need a side with serious personality!
Just like my Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad and my Taco Pasta Salad, this recipe turns the plain old side dish into a crowd-pleasing masterpiece. And if you’re looking for another great no lettuce salad, you might want to check out this vegetable salad as well!
why this is Dill-icious Pasta Salad Perfection
- Ready in a snap: This pasta salad comes together fast with everyday ingredients. No fuss, all flavor!
- Packed with flavor: Thanks to a homemade dill ranch dressing, pieces of cheddar cheese, and big pieces of pickle, this dill pickle pasta salad is beyond delicious!
- Mix it your way: Swap the cheese, skip the panko, or grab a bottled dressing, this recipe is made to customize with your faves.
- Summer vibes only: Bright, cool, and picnic-perfect, this dish was made for sunny days, poolside snacks, and potluck wins!
Ingredients you will need
This dill pickle pasta salad recipe is a dream come true for pickle lovers, tangy, salty, and totally refreshing. It’s the ultimate mashup of bold pickle flavor and summer pasta salad goodness! Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
For the Pasta salad
- Radiatore pasta: Short, sturdy pasta like radiatore works great for holding all that creamy dressing and chopped pickles in every bite. You can also use bowties, shells, penne, or elbows, anything with nooks and crannies to catch all the flavor!
- Olive oil: Helps prevent the pasta from sticking together. I even have a new trick for you to replace rinsing the pasta!
- Dill pickle spears: This doesn’t just taste like pickles, it also has chunks of them in the mix! Believe it or not, the type of pickle you use does matter! These are my favorite pickles.
- White cheddar cheese: The sharp flavor of white cheddar pairs perfectly with salty and slightly sour pickles.
- Herbs: I use a simple combo of fresh parsley and fresh dill.
For the Panko topping
- Panko bread crumbs: This type of breadcrumb adds a crisp, crunchy topping that brings the ideal texture contrast to the salad. It’s what makes this pasta salad reminiscent of fried pickles!
- Seasonings: More parsley, dill, and fresh lemon zest for flavor.
Creamy dill dressing
- Dill pickle juice: Of course the dressing has to have some pickle juice too! This is a great way to use up some of the pickle juice from the jar.
- Greek yogurt and Mexican crema: Gives the dressing a creamy texture and a bit of sour flavor. You can also use regular sour cream and/or mayonnaise if you prefer.
- Ranch seasoning: A quick way to pack lots of flavor into your dressing.
- Fresh dill: Makes the dish taste lively and vibrant.
- Fresh lemon juice: I recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice if possible, but bottled lemon juice is another potential option.
How to make pasta salad with dill pickles
Step 1: Cook the pasta. To a large pot of boiling water, add the pasta. Cook until al dente, or longer if you prefer softer pasta.
Step 2: Drain the pasta. Drain out the pasta and transfer it to a sheet pan. Instead of rinsing it, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and toss to prevent the pasta from sticking.
Step 3: Make the dressing. In a small mixing bowl, combine the dressing ingredients (pickle juice, Greek yogurt, crema, lemon juice, ranch seasoning, and dill).
Step 4: Toast the panko. Heat some olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the panko and toss until it’s toasted and golden brown.
Step 5: Add herbs. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest, parsley, and dill.
Step 6: Assemble. To a large mixing bowl, add the cooked pasta, pickles, sharp cheddar cheese, homemade ranch dressing, parsley, and dill. Stir until everything is combined and well coated in the dressing.
Tip: if you need to thin out the dressing a bit, add a tablespoon or two of cold water.
*For a detailed list of ingredients and instructions, please reference the recipe card down below.
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Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- Radiatore pasta
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3/4 cup diced dill pickle spears
- 3/4 cup white cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
Panko topping
Ranch dressing
- 2 tbsp pickle juice
- 3/4 cup greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup Mexican crema
- 1 tbsp ranch seasoning, add more as desired
- 2 tbsp fresh dill
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Optional
- cooked bacon, crumbled
- extra toasted panko
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package instructions. I like to add a drop of olive oil to the pot to keep the noodles from sticking. Drain and rinse under cool water when it’s finished cooking.
- When the pasta is finished cooking, drain and transfer the pasta to a sheet pan. Toss the pasta with 2 tbsp of olive oil and spread it out on the sheet pan in a single layer to cool.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the mexican crema, greek yogurt, pickle juice, lemon juice, ranch seasoning, and dill.
- Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a medium skillet. Add the panko and toss occasionally for 3-5 minutes or until it turns golden brown. Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the lemon zest, dill, and parsley.
- Add the cooled pasta to a large mixing bowl with the pickles, shredded cheddar, ranch dressing, parsley, and dill. Mix to combine then top the pasta salad with the toasted panko and serve.
Notes
- Making it too far ahead of time: You can prepare this dill pickle pasta salad a day or so ahead of time, but if you prepare it too far ahead the noodles will get soggy and floppy and the pickles may also break down a bit. If you do make it ahead of time, I would serve it the next day and make sure it’s stored in an airtight container!
- Overcooking the pasta: The best part of pasta salad is the nice hearty bite of the pasta! Cook the pasta to a nice al dente—if you cook it too long it’ll end up soft and mushy.
- Not dressing pasta while still warm: Try to dress the noodles while still a little warm. This will help the flavors develop, but if you’re preparing ahead of time, save some of the dressing to mix in until right before serving.
- Rinsing the pasta: After being cooked, pasta has a nice layer of starchiness, which leads to a more hearty and flavorful pasta salad. Don’t rinse this off!
- Using the wrong pasta shape: Many shapes of pasta are great for pasta salad like rotini pasta, penne, farfalle (or bowtie pasta) and fusili are great for pasta salad, but you’ll want to avoid long cut pasta like spaghetti.
Nutrition
serving Suggestions
This pickle pasta salad pairs well with all of your favorite barbecue fare like Turkey Burgers, Buffalo Chicken Wings, Slow Cooker Ribs, or Grilled BBQ Chicken. You could also serve alongside another hearty main course like my Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Skillet or a Roasted Vegetable Soup!
More easy recipes to try
If you can’t get enough of this recipe, you’ll also love this Caprese Pasta Salad, a Grilled Chicken Pasta Salad, this Spring Potato Salad, or a big bowl of my Goat Cheese Orzo Pasta Salad!
These are all perfect to serve with a summer dinner, but will work well as crowd-pleasing sides all year long. And for lovers of that classic dill pickle flavor, these Air Fryer Pickles will become an instant favorite appetizer or snack!
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