Dill Pickle Pasta Salad

Recipe

Pasta Ingredients

• 1 box (16 oz) pasta of choice (I used Cavatappi)
• 1/2 cup dill pickle juice from the pickle jar
• 2.5 cups of chopped baby dill pickles
• 1 block (8 oz) of cheese cut into small cubes (I used 4 ounces of cheddar and 4 ounces of colby jack)
• 1 small white onion finely chopped

Creamy Dill Dressing

• 1 cup of mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup dill pickle juice from the pickle jar
• 3-4 tablespoons chopped fresh dill (or 2 tablespoon dried dill) Increase the amount based on your love of dill! 
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions:

• Cook the pasta according to package directions using salted water
• Rinse the pasta in cold water and drain
• Move rinsed, cooked pasta to a mixing bowl and pour the 1/2 cup of pickle juice over it. Stir to combine. Let it sit while you prepare the rest. You’ll drain the pasta again later but this step is done so it can absorb some of the pickle juice flavor.
• Chop the dill pickles and cheese into small cubes. 
• Finely chop the white onion.
• Drain the pasta that was in the pickle juice. Add pasta back to the bowl and combine with the chopped pickles, cheese, and white onion and mix it up.
• In a small bowl combine all the dressing ingredients and pour over the pasta salad. 
• Mix everything together to completely combine
• Garnish with chopped dill or parsley

Notes:

• Have FUN with this one!! It’s a super flexible recipe so don’t be afraid to experiment. It’s also delicious with finely chopped celery for an extra crunch and with pepperjack cheese for an extra zing!
• Salad can be eaten room temperature or cold depending on your preference 
• Cold noodle pastas are famous for absorbing their dressing. While this lasted a solid 3 days perfectly without getting dry, if you’re planning on having leftovers for longer than that you can also make a bit of extra dressing to keep on the side and add after day 3.