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Dill Pickle Bacon Pasta Salad

Dill pickle bacon pasta salad with a dill-cream cheese dressing coats al dente rotini for a tangy, creamy pickle pasta salad. Crispy bacon crumbles and sliced dill pickles add salty crunch in every forkful.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 510

Ingredients
  

  • 12 oz rotini pasta
  • 6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
  • 1.5 cup dill pickles sliced
  • 0.5 red onion finely diced
  • 0.25 cup fresh dill chopped
  • 2 green onions sliced
  • 0.75 cup mayonnaise for pickle dill dressing
  • 2 oz cream cheese softened
  • 3 tbsp pickle brine for pickle dill dressing
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar for pickle dill dressing
  • 1 tbsp fresh dill for pickle dill dressing
  • 1 tsp garlic powder for pickle dill dressing
  • 0.5 tsp onion powder for pickle dill dressing
  • 0.125 tsp salt to taste
  • 0.125 tsp black pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 pot
  • 1 mixing bowl

Method
 

Cook pasta
  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the rotini until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain, rinse cold under running water, and cool completely for best texture.
Make pickle dill dressing
  1. Beat the softened cream cheese until smooth, then whisk in mayonnaise and pickle brine until uniform. Stir in apple cider vinegar, fresh dill, garlic powder, onion powder, plus salt and black pepper until completely smooth, about 2 minutes.
Assemble and chill
  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled rotini with the crumbled bacon, sliced dill pickles, diced red onion, chopped fresh dill, and sliced green onions. Toss gently until evenly distributed.
  2. Pour the pickle dill dressing over the pasta mixture and toss until every piece looks coated. Mix thoroughly so the creamy dill dressing clings to the noodles.
  3. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour so the pickle flavor intensifies. Keep chilled for up to 24 hours before serving.
  4. Just before serving, toss once more and top with extra dill pickles and fresh dill. Serve cold for the best tangy bite.

Notes

Pro tip: Rinse the pasta cold until fully cool so the dressing won’t turn watery and the rotini stays springy. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 24 hours; it’s not recommended to freeze due to texture changes in the dressing. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat cream cheese and a lower-fat mayonnaise in the pickle dill dressing.