If you are the type of person who secretly drinks the pickle juice straight from the jar, your new favorite side dish has arrived. This Simple Dill Pickle Pasta Salad combines everything you love about a creamy, classic macaroni salad with the tangy, briny, irresistible crunch of dill pickles.

Loaded with tender rotini pasta, crisp pickles, cubed Colby Jack cheese, and fresh dill, it is all brought together by a rich mayonnaise and sour cream dressing that uses actual pickle brine for maximum flavor.

Extreme close-up of rotini pasta spirals heavily coated in a creamy green herb sauce. — Every ridge of this rotini is designed to hold onto our delicious creamy pesto sauce.

It is the ultimate crowd pleaser for summer barbecues, potlucks, or meal prepped lunches. Serve it alongside hearty, smoky grilled meats, or pair it with some fun, fruity summer drinks like an Amaretto Island Punch. Because it actually tastes better the next day, it is the perfect stress free dish to make ahead of time!

Why You Will Love This Dill Pickle Pasta Salad

A Pickle Lover’s Dream: By soaking the warm pasta in pickle juice and adding it to the creamy dressing, this salad guarantees a tangy, bright pickle flavor in every single bite.
Quick & Easy Prep: Ready in just about 30 minutes, this pasta salad requires no complicated cooking techniques. Just boil the pasta, chop your add ins, and whisk the dressing!
The Ultimate Make Ahead Dish: Like any good pasta salad, this recipe needs time in the fridge for the flavors to marry. You can easily make it 24 hours before your event!
Perfect for Potlucks: Need a full spread? Bring this savory pasta salad, a sweet Walking Strawberry Pretzel Salad, and a gorgeous Patriotic Poke Cake for a menu that everyone will love!

Tri-color pasta salad with green and white rotini, diced carrots, and herb dressing on a round stone plate. — Fresh garden vegetables meet perfectly cooked rotini in this healthy lunch option.

Essential Ingredients

You only need a handful of basic ingredients to pull this creamy, tangy salad together.

For the Salad Base:

Rotini Pasta: 16 oz (1 lb) of dried rotini. The spiral shape is perfect for grabbing and holding onto that creamy dressing!
Dill Pickles: 2 cups of chopped dill pickles (about ½ inch pieces).
Pickle Brine: ⅓ cup of brine straight from the jar. You will pour this over the warm pasta to infuse it with flavor immediately!
Colby Jack Cheese: 8 oz of Colby Jack, diced into small ¼ inch cubes.
White Onion: 1 small white onion, minced very fine so it adds flavor without overpowering the salad.

For the Creamy Dressing:

Mayonnaise & Sour Cream: 1 cup of mayo and ½ cup of full fat sour cream create a rich, velvety base.
Pickle Liquid: Another ⅓ cup of pickle juice to thin out the dressing and add that signature tang.
Fresh Dill: 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh dill (or 1 tbsp of dried dill) to enhance the herby flavor.
Seasoning: ¼ tsp of salt and ¼ tsp of ground black pepper.

Looking for a sweet treat to balance out this savory side? Check out these gooey S’mores Rolls or some Oreo Stuffed Cheesecake Brownies!

Large white platter of rotini pasta salad with creamy pesto sauce and fresh herbs on a marble surface. — A perfect family-sized serving of our signature creamy pesto rotini.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the Add Ins To make things efficient, prep your ingredients before boiling the pasta! Dice the Colby Jack cheese, mince the white onion, and chop your dill pickles and fresh dill. Set everything aside in a bowl.

Step 2: Cook and Brine the Pasta Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook the rotini according to the package directions until al dente. Drain the noodles and rinse them briefly with cool water to stop the cooking process. While the noodles are still slightly warm, transfer them to a large mixing bowl and pour in the ⅓ cup of dill pickle brine. Stir gently. (Pro tip: This early brining allows the warm pasta to absorb the tangy flavor as it cools!)

Step 3: Make the Creamy Dressing In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, and the remaining ⅓ cup of pickle liquid until completely smooth. Stir in the chopped fresh dill, salt, and black pepper.

Step 4: Combine Everything Check your pasta bowl if there is a pool of unabsorbed pickle juice at the bottom, drain it off. Add the prepped pickles, diced cheese, and minced onion to the pasta. Pour the creamy dressing over the top and gently fold everything together until well coated.

Step 5: Chill and Serve Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 to 2 hours before serving. Give it a good stir right before serving to redistribute the dressing. Enjoy cold!

Got extra time in the kitchen? Use up your spring and summer fruit by baking a cozy Classic Rhubarb Crisp or some elegant Rhubarb Cheesecake Creams!

Simple Dill Pickle Pasta Salad

A tangy, creamy, crowd-pleasing side dish loaded with tender pasta, crisp dill pickles, cubed cheese, and a rich pickle brine dressing!

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Total Time 25

Servings 8 servings

Calories 380 kcal

Ingredients

16 oz rotini pasta
1/3 cup dill pickle brine for brining pasta
2 cups dill pickles, chopped
8 oz Colby Jack cheese, diced
1 small white onion, minced
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup full-fat sour cream
1/3 cup dill pickle brine for dressing
2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped or 1 tbsp dried
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

Dice the cheese, mince the onion, and chop the pickles and fresh dill. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the rotini according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse briefly under cool water.
While the pasta is still slightly warm, transfer it to a large mixing bowl and pour 1/3 cup of pickle brine over it. Toss gently and let it absorb while you prepare the dressing.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, remaining 1/3 cup pickle brine, fresh dill, salt, and pepper until smooth.
Drain any excess liquid from the pasta. Add the chopped pickles, cubed cheese, and minced onion. Pour the dressing over the top and fold gently until evenly coated.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours before serving. Stir well before serving to redistribute the dressing.

Notes

For best flavor, make this pasta salad a day in advance to allow the pasta to fully absorb the tangy pickle brine. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Stir before serving as the dressing may settle.

Storage and Freezing Tips

To Store: Store leftover pasta salad covered tightly in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It actually tastes better on days two and three! To Refresh: As the pasta sits in the fridge, it will soak up the dressing. If it seems a little dry when you take it out, just stir in an extra tablespoon of mayo and a splash of pickle juice to bring it back to life. To Freeze: Do not freeze pasta salad! The mayonnaise and sour cream dressing will separate and become watery when thawed, and the pasta will turn to mush.

FAQs

Can I use a different shape of pasta? Yes! While rotini is great because the spirals hold the dressing, you can absolutely use penne, bow ties (farfalle), shells, or classic elbow macaroni.

Can I substitute the Colby Jack cheese? Definitely. Sharp cheddar, mild cheddar, or even pepper jack cheese are fantastic substitutes. Just make sure to cut them into very small cubes so they distribute evenly throughout the salad.

What can I use instead of sour cream? If you don’t have sour cream, you can use plain, full-fat Greek yogurt for a lighter but equally creamy substitute. Alternatively, you can just use more mayonnaise, though the salad will lose a little bit of that tangy depth!

If you love old-fashioned comfort food recipes like this pasta salad, you will also love a warm, buttery Southern Banana Cobbler for dessert!