Dill Pickle Pasta Salad with Bacon
This tangy pasta salad combines creamy dressing with crunchy dill pickles and crispy bacon bits. The zesty pickle juice and fresh dill add bright flavors that make this dish perfect for summer gatherings and potlucks.
Ingredients
Key Salad Ingredients:
- 1 pound rotini pasta
- 2 cups dill pickles chopped
- 8 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- 1 cup cheddar cheese cubed small
- 1/2 red onion finely diced
- 1/4 cup fresh dill chopped
Dressing Ingredients:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup pickle juice
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Fill a big pot with water and add salt. Bring to a boil and cook rotini pasta until soft but still a bit firm, about 8-10 minutes.
- Drain pasta in a colander and rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Let cool while making other parts.
- Mix all dressing things in a bowl until smooth and creamy. Set aside for flavors to mix.
- Put cooled pasta in a big mixing bowl. Pour most of the dressing over pasta and stir well.
- Add chopped pickles, bacon bits, cheese cubes, and red onion to the pasta. Mix gently so everything gets coated.
- Sprinkle fresh dill over the top and fold in lightly. Save some dill and bacon for the top.
- Cover the bowl and put in the fridge for at least one hour so all the yummy tastes can mix together.
- Just before serving, stir again and add more dressing if needed. Top with saved bacon and dill.
Notes
- Rotini pasta works great because the spirals catch lots of dressing and tiny pickle bits.
- The salad tastes even better the next day after all flavors have mixed well.
- For less tang, use less pickle juice in the dressing.
- Save some bacon to add just before serving for extra crunch.
- Add more pickle juice if the salad seems dry after chilling.