Textual Chef Textual Chef

Pickle Pasta Salad

Cool, tangy pasta salad loaded with crunchy dill pickles, sharp cheddar, and fresh dill in a creamy pickle-brine dressing; the dill-pickle-obsessed side that took over food TikTok in summer 2026. Plan ahead: chill at least 30 minutes before serving for best flavor.

32 minEasyServes 6480 cal/serving

AmericanSaladStovetopVegetarianHalal-friendlyLow-SodiumPork-FreeAlcohol-FreeCorn-Free

Cook this free in the appFree. No download, no account. The screen stays awake and each step can run its own timer.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb rotini pasta
  • 1 cup dill pickles, diced
  • 1/4 cup dill pickle brine
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
  • 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, cubed
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

  1. 1

    Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the 1 lb rotini pasta according to package directions until al dente.

  2. 2

    Drain the pasta and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking, then let it drain fully.

  3. 3

    In a large bowl, whisk together the 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup dill pickle brine, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper until smooth.

  4. 4

    Add the drained pasta, 1 cup diced dill pickles, 1/4 cup finely diced red onion, 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill, and 1 cup cubed sharp cheddar cheese to the dressing and toss until everything is evenly coated.

  5. 5

    Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, tossing again and adjusting seasoning with extra pickle brine just before serving.

Cook this free in the appCooking it now? The app keeps the screen awake and times each step. Free, nothing to install.

Keep this recipe

Prints the ingredients and method only.

The American Kitchen 30 recipes from this kitchen in one printable PDF. $5, no account.

Questions

What should Pickle Pasta Salad look like when it is ready?

Go by the cues in the method rather than the clock. Step 4: cook until everything is evenly coated.

What can I use instead of sour cream in Pickle Pasta Salad?

The entry for Pickle Pasta Salad calls for 1/4 cup sour cream. In its place: Full-fat plain Greek yogurt, measure for measure. In hot sauces, add it off the heat.

Does Pickle Pasta Salad contain eggs?

Yes: 1/2 cup mayonnaise. The full allergen list for this entry is gluten, dairy and eggs. Packaged ingredients vary by brand, so check labels if the allergy is serious.

How many calories are in Pickle Pasta Salad?

One serving (the recipe makes 6) is about 480 calories, with 16 g protein, 21 g carbohydrate and 37 g fat, plus 86 mg sodium. The figures are estimates computed from the ingredient list.

Can I make Pickle Pasta Salad ahead?

Yes, it takes well to being made ahead. The base of Pickle Pasta Salad is pasta, which holds up: it keeps three to four days refrigerated and tastes better after a few hours, once the dressing has soaked in. Hold back a spoonful of dressing to freshen it before serving. It does not freeze.

Serve it with

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,551 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.

More American entries

All American recipes · All Salad recipes · All Pasta recipes