Dill Pickle Bacon Pasta Salad

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Our favourite pasta salad - this Dill Pickle Bacon Pasta Salad is a flavour-packed summer main or anytime side dish — featuring crunchy dill pickles, smokey bacon bits and a creamy pickle brine dressing. It’s a go-to recipe I make on repeat because I know it will be well-received by my people and at every gathering.

Be sure to read the Tips and FAQs section below for pasta salad greatness! Spoiler: you’ll want to (1) properly salt pasta water (2) dress cooked pasta while still warm, and (3) over-season slightly if planning to serve chilled

This Dill Pickle Bacon Pasta Salad is easy to make, great for prepping in advance, travels well to potlucks and summer picnics or for meal prepping!

If you have any questions about the recipe, pop them in the comments section below. I’m always happy to help.

Eat well and be well,

Sonia x

what you’ll need:

Ingredients for Dill Pickle Bacon Pasta Salad

• Short pasta - any short pasta shape of your choice but we are very partial to a short tubular pasta like the one pictured in this post. I’ve tried many shapes and we have landed on this shape as having the most ideal mouth feel for the recipe. Other great options include small shells, cavetappi, elbow macaroni, fusiili and penne. Cook pasta to tender. I like it al dente plus 1 minute to ensure it is tender.

• Dill pickles and the pickle brine - the co-stars of the show! There is a whole cup of finely-chopped pickles in here and 1/3 cup of pickle brine in the dressing

• Bacon - added in the form of crispy, smoky bacon bits

• Cucumber - preferably mini cucumbers; finely chopped

• Cheese - cut the cheese into fairly small, bite-sized bits for the best mouthfeel when eaten with everything else in the pasta salad. I’m partial to using mild cheddar, marble, mozzarella or a smoked gouda but obviously use whatever you enjoy, but I suggest a soft, mild cheese (not a super firm or crumbly aged cheese) so there’s no hard bits in each bite.

• Red onion - finely chopped; its sharp bite is a nice contrast in any creamy pasta salad

• Fresh dill - grassy with a hint of anise, just 2 to 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh dill adds freshness and enhances the dill pickle flavour profile. I like garnishing the finished dish with some fresh dill too.

• Mayonnaise - the rich and creamy base of the dressing

• Sour cream - adds tang and a different dimension of creaminess; can substitute with full fat plain Greek yogurt

• Yellow mustard - adds a tangy, slightly sharp flavour that adds brightness and depth to the dressing

• Kosher salt - a pasta salad can really fall flat if not salted properly. Make sure to generously salt the pasta water - I go with about 1 tablespoon of kosher salt (or 2 tablespoons if using Diamond Crystal) for a large pot of water to cook a pound of pasta.

• Sugar - just a touch to balance the other flavours

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🎥 Watch video for Dill Pickle Bacon Pasta Salad

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steps at a glance:

How to make Dill Pickle Bacon Pasta Salad

(scroll down to recipe card for the full recipe)

• Cook pasta in well-salted water

• While pasta cooks, whisk together dressing ingredients mayonnaise, sour cream pickle brine, yellow mustard, salt and sugar

• Drain pasta well and pour HALF the dressing over it while still warm. Toss and allow pasta to absorb the flavours as it cools to room temperature. Store remaining half of dressing in the fridge for now.

• Crisp up bacon and cool on a paper towel to absorb the excess fat

• Prep and chop remaining ingredients pickles, cucumbers, cheese, red onion and fresh dill (I almost forgot the dill!)

• Once pasta is cool, add the chopped ingredients and pour reserved half of the dressing all over

• Toss and serve right away at room temperature or chilled from the fridge. Enjoy!

Tips & FAQs

• Season pasta water properly!

  Under-salted pasta water is the main culprit for bland pasta salad. The salt must permeate the pasta while it cooks. There’s no amount of salt you can add afterwards to save it. Trust! My standard practice is 3 quarts of water to cook 1 pound of pasta, with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt (increase to 2 tablespoons if using Diamond Crystal brand) added once the water comes to a boil and pasta is added. The amount of salt might vary depending on the type you use. To make sure, taste the salted water to confirm it is salty.

• Dress cooked pasta with half the dressing while it is still warm

  The pasta absorbs the dressing as it cools, taking in all the flavours so you now have a very tasty base for your pasta salad. Use this trick for every pasta salad recipe!

• Make ahead and serve chilled

  If planning to serve cold, remember to season a little heavier with salt / sugar / mustard / pickle brine because colder temperatures mute flavours.

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Recipe Notes for Dill Pickle Bacon Pasta Salad

Storage – store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Stir before serving, as some separation or softening may occur over time especially from the chopped cucumbers.

Dill Pickle Bacon Pasta Salad

Yield: 6-12

Author: sonia wong | www.saltnpepperhere.com

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Dill Pickle Bacon Pasta Salad

This Dill Pickle Bacon Pasta Salad is a flavour-packed summer main or anytime side dish combining crunchy dill pickles, smokey bacon bits and a creamy pickle brine dressing tossed with tender pasta. It never disappoints and it is always a winner with my family and at every gathering!

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 30 Min

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

For the dressing:

• 3/4 C (165g) mayonnaise
• 1/3 C (80g) sour cream
• 1/3 C pickle brine
• 2 tsp yellow mustard
• ½ tsp kosher salt (increase to 1 tsp for Diamond Crystal kosher salt)
• ½ tsp sugar

For the Dill Pickle Bacon Pasta Salad:

• 8 strips bacon (about 200g), cut into 1/3” square pieces
• 1 lb (450g) short pasta
• 3 large pickles, finely chopped (about 1 heaped cup)
• 3 mini cucumbers, finely chopped (about 300g or 2 cups)
• ¼ lb (110g) block mild cheese such as cheddar, mozzarella or gouda, cut into small pieces (I prefer very small bite-size pieces ~1/3” x 1/3” x ¼” thick)
• 1/3 C (40g) finely chopped red onions
• 2-3 tbsp fresh dill, roughly chopped, plus more for garnish
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Place a large pot of water on the stove to bring to a boil.
2. Set a skillet on the stove and place bacon pieces in the (cold) pan without any oil and heat on stovetop over medium-high heat. Let bacon cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the fat is rendered out and the bacon is crisp and brown. Transfer with slotted spoon to a tray lined with paper towel to absorb excess fat.
3. When pasta water is at a boil, season liberally with salt – under seasoned pasta water will definitely lead to bland pasta salad! Cook pasta to your liking – I personally like it tender for a pasta salad and cook a minute longer than al dente. Drain and rinse very briefly (5 seconds) to slow the cooking but not to fully cool it as we still want the pasta to be warm. Drain well and place in a large mixing bowl.
4. While pasta cooks, mix dressing ingredients together. You want this ready to pour (HALF of it) over the pasta right after it is drained and STILL WARM. The pasta absorbs flavours while it cools to room temperature. Toss a few times to let steam escape. Set other half of dressing in the fridge for now.
5. Prepare (chop) remaining ingredients – pickles, cucumbers, cheese, red onion and dill.
6. When pasta is cooled to room temperature, add all the chopped ingredients and the bacon bits. Pour remaining half of the dressing and toss well. Taste a bite with everything in it and adjust seasoning as desired i.e. with salt, black pepper, sugar, mustard, pickle brine. Serve at room temperature or chilled from the fridge. Garnish with extra dill just before serving.
7. If planning to serve cold, remember to season a little heavier because colder temperatures mute flavours. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

728

Fat

43 g

Sat. Fat

12 g

Carbs

64 g

Fiber

4 g

Net carbs

60 g

Sugar

6 g

Protein

20 g

Sodium

1678 mg

Cholesterol

58 mg

Disclaimer: nutritional information is auto-generated and should be used as an approximation.

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Did you make this recipe? Let me know how it went and what you think of it. Or drop a note if you have any questions. I’m happy to help!