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If you love pickles, this dill pickle pasta salad is a must! It’s a creamy, tangy side dish for any summer cookout.

A bowl of creamy pasta salad with rotini, chopped vegetables, and garnished with a sprig of dill, placed on a cloth with a wooden spoon beside it.

My love for creamy and zesty pasta salads goes back to when I was a kid. In the summer we’d throw together those boxed pasta salad mixes and it felt so fancy!

Little did I know how easy it was to make pasta salad from scratch. They’re still a summer staple in my house, just made with all of our favorite ingredients and homemade dressings.

One of my husband’s favorite things is a tangy pickle, and I had him in mind with this dill pickle pasta salad. It’s incredibly quick and easy, so it’s perfect for throwing together last-minute for potlucks, or whipping up for a weekday lunch at home.

If you love the herbal punch of dill pickle flavor, you’ve got to try this pasta salad!

Ingredients for dill pickle pasta salad

Full list of ingredients including quantities is located in the recipe card.

You’ll need:

Overhead view of pasta salad ingredients including rotini pasta, garlic powder, pickles, carrot shreds, pickle juice, red onion, dill, sour cream, and mayonnaise on a white wood surface.

Pasta – I recommend using a short pasta that holds dressing well, like rotini or shells.

Pickles – You’ll want dill pickles for this recipe, not bread and butter. Spears or thick-cut slices will work best for cutting the pickles into nice-size pieces.

Red onion – Red onion adds a nice bite to the pasta salad.

Carrots – For a little bit of sweetness, I mix in some shredded carrots.

Dill – You’ll want to use fresh dill in this recipe, if you have it. Dried dill will also work if needed, but make sure to reduce the amount to 2 teaspoons.

Mayonnaise and sour cream – For the dressing

Pickle juice – Adding some brine from the dill pickles adds an even bigger pickle punch to the salad.

Seasonings – Garlic powder, salt, and pepper

A bowl of creamy pasta salad with fusilli, shredded carrots, diced red onion, and fresh dill garnish, placed on a striped cloth with a wooden spoon beside it.

How to make this recipe

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then cook pasta according to package directions. You want it to be al dente and not overcooked, or it will get too mushy once you add the dressing.

Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water, then add to a large mixing bowl.

Stir in the chopped pickles, red onion, and carrots.

A whisk resting in a white bowl of cream on a striped cloth on a white wooden surface.

A white bowl contains chopped pickles, diced red onions, shredded carrots, pasta, and fresh dill. A small bowl of creamy dressing and a striped cloth napkin are placed nearby on a white surface.

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, pickle juice, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until smooth. Taste and adjust any seasonings as needed.

Pour the dressing over the pasta and mix well to coat evenly.

You can serve the pasta salad immediately, or cover and chill in the fridge until ready to eat.

Recipe suggestions

If you like, you can add cheese to this pasta salad. I recommend a sharp cheddar cheese to complement the tangy pickles.

This recipe is easily doubled to use a whole box of pasta. (Hit the 2x button in the recipe card!)

If you don’t like the strong flavor of red onion, swap in chopped green onion for a milder taste.

Halved cherry tomatoes or chopped pimentos are also great additions to this salad.

A bowl of pasta salad with rotini, diced vegetables, and a creamy dressing, garnished with fresh dill, is placed on a striped cloth with a wooden spoon beside it.

More pasta salads

Looking for other summery pasta salads?

For a main dish salad, make chicken taco pasta salad or creamy balsamic chicken pasta salad.

Tortellini pasta salad is a classic, as is tuna pasta salad!

For something different, try tofu pasta salad or deviled egg pasta salad.

A bowl of rotini pasta salad with mixed vegetables and fresh dill garnish on a striped cloth, next to a wooden serving spoon.

Pickle fans, you’re going to love this dill pickle pasta salad!

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