Dill-Pickle Pasta Salad with Creamy Dill Dressing

Close

Prep Time:20 minsAdditional Time:10 minsTotal Time:30 minsServings:7Yield:7 servingsJump to Nutrition Facts

Prep Time:20 minsAdditional Time:10 minsTotal Time:30 minsServings:7Yield:7 servings

Prep Time:20 mins

Prep Time:

20 mins

Additional Time:10 mins

Additional Time:

10 mins

Total Time:30 mins

Total Time:

30 mins

Servings:7

Servings:

7

Yield:7 servings

Yield:

7 servings

Jump to Nutrition Facts

Jump to recipeThisDill-Pickle Pasta Salad with Creamy Dill Dressingwill become your favorite picnic side. Dilly pickles and herbs freshen up the nutty, fiber-filled whole-wheat pasta. Mayo and plain Greek yogurt provide a creamy dressing that complements the crunchy texture of the celery, red bell pepper and red onion. Pickle juice and hot sauce tie the flavors together with a hit of subtle heat. If you want more protein, feel free to add some chicken or tuna. Keep reading for expert tips, like why rotini pasta is perfect for this salad.Tips from the EatingWell Test KitchenThese are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too!Rotini pasta is perfect for this recipe because the spirals trap the mayo and all the flavors. If you decide to use a different pasta, we’d suggest one with nooks and crannies like cavatappi, fusilli, bow tie or macaroni.Using real, full-fat mayonnaise will give you delicious results. Don’t be tempted to get a lite variety.If you prefer cold pasta salad, tuck it in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving.To make ahead, store pasta in one or multiple airtight containers set in the coldest section of your fridge at 40°F or below for up to 3 days. To increase shelf life, store the dressing separately until ready to serve.Nutrition NotesCompared to pasta made from refined white flour, thewhole-wheat rotiniprovides more gut-friendly fiber and inflammation-calming antioxidants. The fiber will also help you stay full longer and prevent blood sugar spikes. If you can’t get past the heartier flavor of whole-wheat pasta, you’ll still get somefiber and nutrients with regular pasta. Or you could also use half whole-wheat pasta and half regular pasta to get the best of both.Bell peppersare an amazing source of antioxidants and vitamin C and a good source of vitamin A. This means they’re good for the brain, immune system, skin and eyes. The fiber in bell peppers will help keep things moving through your gut and manage blood sugar.Besides adding an amazing crunch to this salad,celeryis 95% water, which means it’s a great hydrating veggie. It’s also a good source of vitamin K, necessary for strong bones. Perhaps celery’s superpowers, though, lie in its antioxidants, which help reduce inflammation and chronic disease. Of course, it’s also a great vehicle for your favorite spread!This salad wouldn’t be what it is withoutdill pickles—they are, after all, in the recipe’s name. Dill pickles are made fromcucumbers, which provide some pretty great health benefits, like reducing cancer and diabetes risk. And pickles that have been fermented—which you will find in the refrigerated section of the grocery store—provide gut-friendly probiotics. But pickles do tend to be high in sodium, so if you’rewatching your sodium intake, it’s probably wise to limit your pickle consumption. And while there aren’t a lot of pickles in this salad, if you’re concerned about the sodium in them, you could swap the pickles for cucumbers.

Jump to recipe

ThisDill-Pickle Pasta Salad with Creamy Dill Dressingwill become your favorite picnic side. Dilly pickles and herbs freshen up the nutty, fiber-filled whole-wheat pasta. Mayo and plain Greek yogurt provide a creamy dressing that complements the crunchy texture of the celery, red bell pepper and red onion. Pickle juice and hot sauce tie the flavors together with a hit of subtle heat. If you want more protein, feel free to add some chicken or tuna. Keep reading for expert tips, like why rotini pasta is perfect for this salad.Tips from the EatingWell Test KitchenThese are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too!Rotini pasta is perfect for this recipe because the spirals trap the mayo and all the flavors. If you decide to use a different pasta, we’d suggest one with nooks and crannies like cavatappi, fusilli, bow tie or macaroni.Using real, full-fat mayonnaise will give you delicious results. Don’t be tempted to get a lite variety.If you prefer cold pasta salad, tuck it in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving.To make ahead, store pasta in one or multiple airtight containers set in the coldest section of your fridge at 40°F or below for up to 3 days. To increase shelf life, store the dressing separately until ready to serve.Nutrition NotesCompared to pasta made from refined white flour, thewhole-wheat rotiniprovides more gut-friendly fiber and inflammation-calming antioxidants. The fiber will also help you stay full longer and prevent blood sugar spikes. If you can’t get past the heartier flavor of whole-wheat pasta, you’ll still get somefiber and nutrients with regular pasta. Or you could also use half whole-wheat pasta and half regular pasta to get the best of both.Bell peppersare an amazing source of antioxidants and vitamin C and a good source of vitamin A. This means they’re good for the brain, immune system, skin and eyes. The fiber in bell peppers will help keep things moving through your gut and manage blood sugar.Besides adding an amazing crunch to this salad,celeryis 95% water, which means it’s a great hydrating veggie. It’s also a good source of vitamin K, necessary for strong bones. Perhaps celery’s superpowers, though, lie in its antioxidants, which help reduce inflammation and chronic disease. Of course, it’s also a great vehicle for your favorite spread!This salad wouldn’t be what it is withoutdill pickles—they are, after all, in the recipe’s name. Dill pickles are made fromcucumbers, which provide some pretty great health benefits, like reducing cancer and diabetes risk. And pickles that have been fermented—which you will find in the refrigerated section of the grocery store—provide gut-friendly probiotics. But pickles do tend to be high in sodium, so if you’rewatching your sodium intake, it’s probably wise to limit your pickle consumption. And while there aren’t a lot of pickles in this salad, if you’re concerned about the sodium in them, you could swap the pickles for cucumbers.

ThisDill-Pickle Pasta Salad with Creamy Dill Dressingwill become your favorite picnic side. Dilly pickles and herbs freshen up the nutty, fiber-filled whole-wheat pasta. Mayo and plain Greek yogurt provide a creamy dressing that complements the crunchy texture of the celery, red bell pepper and red onion. Pickle juice and hot sauce tie the flavors together with a hit of subtle heat. If you want more protein, feel free to add some chicken or tuna. Keep reading for expert tips, like why rotini pasta is perfect for this salad.

Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen

These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too!

Nutrition Notes

Cook Mode(Keep screen awake)Ingredients8ounceswhole-wheat rotini⅓cupsour cream or whole-milk plain Greek yogurt⅓cupmayonnaise3tablespoonspickle juice from the jar1-3 teaspoons hot sauce, such as Frank’s¼teaspoonsalt¼teaspoonground pepper½cupthinly sliced celery½cupchopped red bell pepper½cupchopped dill pickles¼cupfinely chopped red onion3tablespoonschopped fresh dill

Cook Mode(Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

8ounceswhole-wheat rotini

⅓cupsour cream or whole-milk plain Greek yogurt

⅓cupmayonnaise

3tablespoonspickle juice from the jar

1-3 teaspoons hot sauce, such as Frank’s

¼teaspoonsalt

¼teaspoonground pepper

½cupthinly sliced celery

½cupchopped red bell pepper

½cupchopped dill pickles

¼cupfinely chopped red onion

3tablespoonschopped fresh dill

DirectionsBring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add 8 ounces pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water.Meanwhile, whisk 1/3 cup sour cream (or yogurt), 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 3 tablespoons pickle juice, 1 to 3 teaspoons hot sauce to taste, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup celery, 1/2 cup bell pepper, 1/2 cup pickles, 1/4 cup onion, 3 tablespoons dill and the cooked pasta. Toss to coat well. Let stand for at least 10 minutes, stirring once or twice, before serving.Frequently Asked QuestionsRinse pasta only for cold dishes or when you won’t serve it immediately. Pasta served warm should not be rinsed because it is the starch on the pasta helps the sauce cling better.In addition to serving them alongside or topping burgers and tuna fish sandwiches, try making ourDill Pickle Dip. It is excellent with veggie chips or used as a topping for vegetables. Or make ourDill-Pickle Cauliflower and Potato Salad.It’s a personal preference—some people enjoy a cold pasta salad on a hot day. After assembling the pasta salad, we recommend waiting for about 10 minutes before serving. The same applies to a salad stored in the fridge. Allowing it to sit will help the pasta become less firm and allow the dressing to distribute more evenly.This salad is a meal in itself and could be enjoyed with just a fresh baguette. It’s the ideal side dish for grilled foods, pairing well withhamburgers,hot dogs, beer brats andchicken,porkandbeef kebabs, and so much more.EatingWell.com, July 2020

Directions

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add 8 ounces pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water.Meanwhile, whisk 1/3 cup sour cream (or yogurt), 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 3 tablespoons pickle juice, 1 to 3 teaspoons hot sauce to taste, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup celery, 1/2 cup bell pepper, 1/2 cup pickles, 1/4 cup onion, 3 tablespoons dill and the cooked pasta. Toss to coat well. Let stand for at least 10 minutes, stirring once or twice, before serving.Frequently Asked QuestionsRinse pasta only for cold dishes or when you won’t serve it immediately. Pasta served warm should not be rinsed because it is the starch on the pasta helps the sauce cling better.In addition to serving them alongside or topping burgers and tuna fish sandwiches, try making ourDill Pickle Dip. It is excellent with veggie chips or used as a topping for vegetables. Or make ourDill-Pickle Cauliflower and Potato Salad.It’s a personal preference—some people enjoy a cold pasta salad on a hot day. After assembling the pasta salad, we recommend waiting for about 10 minutes before serving. The same applies to a salad stored in the fridge. Allowing it to sit will help the pasta become less firm and allow the dressing to distribute more evenly.This salad is a meal in itself and could be enjoyed with just a fresh baguette. It’s the ideal side dish for grilled foods, pairing well withhamburgers,hot dogs, beer brats andchicken,porkandbeef kebabs, and so much more.

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add 8 ounces pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water.

Meanwhile, whisk 1/3 cup sour cream (or yogurt), 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 3 tablespoons pickle juice, 1 to 3 teaspoons hot sauce to taste, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup celery, 1/2 cup bell pepper, 1/2 cup pickles, 1/4 cup onion, 3 tablespoons dill and the cooked pasta. Toss to coat well. Let stand for at least 10 minutes, stirring once or twice, before serving.

Frequently Asked QuestionsRinse pasta only for cold dishes or when you won’t serve it immediately. Pasta served warm should not be rinsed because it is the starch on the pasta helps the sauce cling better.In addition to serving them alongside or topping burgers and tuna fish sandwiches, try making ourDill Pickle Dip. It is excellent with veggie chips or used as a topping for vegetables. Or make ourDill-Pickle Cauliflower and Potato Salad.It’s a personal preference—some people enjoy a cold pasta salad on a hot day. After assembling the pasta salad, we recommend waiting for about 10 minutes before serving. The same applies to a salad stored in the fridge. Allowing it to sit will help the pasta become less firm and allow the dressing to distribute more evenly.This salad is a meal in itself and could be enjoyed with just a fresh baguette. It’s the ideal side dish for grilled foods, pairing well withhamburgers,hot dogs, beer brats andchicken,porkandbeef kebabs, and so much more.

Frequently Asked Questions

Rinse pasta only for cold dishes or when you won’t serve it immediately. Pasta served warm should not be rinsed because it is the starch on the pasta helps the sauce cling better.

In addition to serving them alongside or topping burgers and tuna fish sandwiches, try making ourDill Pickle Dip. It is excellent with veggie chips or used as a topping for vegetables. Or make ourDill-Pickle Cauliflower and Potato Salad.

It’s a personal preference—some people enjoy a cold pasta salad on a hot day. After assembling the pasta salad, we recommend waiting for about 10 minutes before serving. The same applies to a salad stored in the fridge. Allowing it to sit will help the pasta become less firm and allow the dressing to distribute more evenly.

This salad is a meal in itself and could be enjoyed with just a fresh baguette. It’s the ideal side dish for grilled foods, pairing well withhamburgers,hot dogs, beer brats andchicken,porkandbeef kebabs, and so much more.

EatingWell.com, July 2020

Rate ItPrint

Nutrition Facts(per serving)136Calories9gFat12gCarbs3gProtein

Nutrition Facts(per serving)

• Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.

Carrie Myers, M.S.

andLinda Frahm

Linda Frahm