Description
A creamy, tangy, and smoky pasta salad loaded with crunchy dill pickles and crispy bacon bits.
Ingredients
16 oz rotini pasta
12 oz bacon, cooked and crumbled
1.5 cups chopped dill pickles
1 cup cheddar cheese, cubed
1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup dill pickle juice
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Step 1: Cook the rotini pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and rinse thoroughly with cold water to cool completely.
Step 2: While the pasta boils, cook the bacon in a skillet until very crispy. Drain on paper towels and crumble once cooled.
Step 3: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, pickle juice, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt to create the dressing.
Step 4: In a large serving bowl, combine the cold pasta, chopped pickles, bacon crumbles, diced onion, cheddar cheese cubes, and fresh dill.
Step 5: Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture and toss gently with a large spoon until every piece of pasta is well-coated.
Step 6: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving to allow the flavors to meld together.
Notes
For best results, use high-quality chilled dill pickles and thick-cut bacon. You can add extra pickle juice if the salad seems too dry after refrigerating.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Boiling and Mixing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 680mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 10g
- Cholesterol: 45mg
