Can I just say that pickles are one of the greatest inventions known to humankind? They are not just a pregnant woman’s craving – although I do have to admit, the cliches are true; I craved pickles every day of my pregnancy. Everything about pickles are just amazing. That satisfying crunch, the salt and vinegar medley, the fact that you can eat as many as you like without having to worry about calories. I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that I can eat a whole jar of baby dill pickles daily if allowed. Okay, enough praising on the pickles. What better way to honor the absolute wonder of pickles then to add them to one of my favorite dishes: Pasta. I promise you guys are gonna love this Creamy Dill Pickle Pasta Salad!
THE PERFECT SIDE DISH
I first came up with this dish on taco night. Now, maybe you guys can settle an argument for me. I think tacos need a side dish. Whereas my husband thinks tacos are a standalone kind of meal. What do you guys think? When it comes to this creamy dill pickle pasta salad, I think you’ll agree tacos definitely need a side dish. 😉 I’m sure many of you will find that you have everything you need for this dish without even having to leave the house. That’s always a positive relief. The ingredient list is simple as you will see, but it’s still loaded with flavor!
COLORFUL INGREDIENTS
The mix of red onions, cheddar cheese, and dill pickles makes for a colorful combination which is always pleasant to the eye. You can customize these ingredients to your liking as well. Sometimes I’ll use mozzarella instead of cheddar, or white onions instead of red. The one thing I never waver on are the baby dill pickles. They’re the perfect size when chopped and have the ultimate pickle flavor in my opinion.
CHOPPING THE PICKLES
Pull up your favorite Netflix show and settle in because it’s going to take you some time to chop up a whole jar of baby pickles. I personally find it methodically soothing, so I don’t mind this part. But if you’re in a hurry, bring out your handy vegetable chopper and cut some prep time. I personally use this Progressive Vegetable Chopper.
CREAMY DRESSING
One more thing to note: I love everything spicy. The hotter, the better. You’ll probably notice that I have several spicy recipes on my blog. This recipe is no different but of course, it is adjustable. For the creamy dressing, I’ll use about 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper and ½ teaspoon of black pepper. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but for those of you who are sensitive to spice, you might want to cut that in half. Most of the flavor comes from the garlic salt, pickle juice, and mayo in the dressing.
CREAMY DILL PICKLE PASTA SALAD
For all you pickle lovers, this creamy dill pickle pasta salad will become your new favorite dish! It’s got pickle-y flavor in every bite thanks to the pickle juice, dill, and tons of chopped pickles! Continue on for the full recipe and please let me know how it went in the comments below! 🙂
TRY THESE CREAMY PASTA DISHES NEXT!
Creamy Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
Course: Pasta u0026amp; Noodles, Sides u0026amp; SaladsDifficulty: Easy8
servings30
minutes2
hours375
kcalThis Creamy Dill Pickle Pasta is a pickle lovers dream come true! FULL of pickles and an incredibly creamy, pickle flavored dressing!
Ingredients
- FOR PASTA
16 oz package of large shell pasta
1 jar baby dill pickles – chopped
½ red onion – chopped
1 ½ cups cheddar cheese, diced
1 cup pickle juice
- FOR DRESSING
1 cup mayo
2-3 Tbs pickle juice
1 tsp garlic salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground dill weed
Directions
- Boil and prepare shell pasta according to package instructions
- While that’s cooking, chop up baby dill pickles, red onion and cheddar cheese
- Once pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse with cold water. Place in large bowl
- Pour the 1 cup of pickle juice over pasta and let sit in fridge for 5-10 minutes
- In the meantime, mix the mayo, pickle juice, garlic salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper until well combined
- Remove the bowl of pasta from fridge and mix in the creamy dressing
- Place the mixture back in the fridge for about 2 hours or until completely cool
Notes
- Calories & Nutritional Info may vary based on different brands and ingredients used. Nutritional Info below was calculated using Very Fit Well’s Nutrition Calculator.
Nutrition Facts
8 servings per container
Calories375
- Amount Per Serving% Daily Value *
- Total Fat
18.3g
29%
- Saturated Fat 6.1g 31%
- Cholesterol 71mg 24%
- Sodium 1058mg 45%
- Amount Per Serving% Daily Value *
- Potassium 163mg 5%
- Total Carbohydrate
40.8g
14%
- Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
- Sugars 3g
- Protein 12.4g 25%
- Calcium 13%
- Iron 14%
- Vitamin D 13%
* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
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