Pasta and Pickles Salad 

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Published July 24, 2024

  • David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Media 1 of 2
Total Time
30 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Rating
5(487)
Comments
Read comments

This recipe is your invitation to the pasta and pickle party. Dill pickles work double time here: The brine is added to the creamy dressing to bring acidity, while a generous amount of pickles are used in the salad, bringing crunch and saltiness. The sourness of the pickles and the punch of the quick-pickled shallots really cut through the heaviness that is often found in creamy, mayonnaise-laden pasta salads. (This one skips mayo for lighter crème fraîche or sour cream.) An emphatic handful of dill reinforces the grassy notes of the pickle; if you have parsley or scallions lying around, you could throw those in too. Experiment by adding other pickles — sauerkraut, beets, radish, daikon would all work — or bulk this pasta salad up with some chopped romaine, chickpeas or hard-boiled eggs. 

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

    or to print this recipe.

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 1 shallot, thinly sliced 

  • 1 tablespoon vinegar, such as white or red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar or other favorite

  • Salt and pepper 

  • 1 pound short pasta, such as fusilli or cavatelli

  • 1 cup crème fraîche or sour cream

  • 1 garlic clove, finely grated

  • 5 tablespoons pickle brine plus 2 cups sliced dill pickles

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan, plus extra for topping

  • Big handful chopped dill

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

91 grams carbs; 36 milligrams cholesterol; 625 calories; 8 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 21 grams fat; 4 grams fiber; 495 milligrams sodium; 18 grams protein; 6 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place the shallot and vinegar in a small bowl. Add a pinch of salt and 2 tablespoons of water. Set aside to pickle while you prepare the rest of the salad.

  2. Step 2

    Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Drain pasta and run under cold water until cool. Drain again.

  3. Step 3

    Meanwhile, place the crème fraîche or sour cream and garlic into a large bowl. Add the pickle brine and sir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

  4. Step 4

    Drain the shallots and discard the pickling liquid.

  5. Step 5

    To the crème fraîche mixture, add the cooled pasta, pickles, olive oil, grated Parmesan and dill; toss to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper. To serve, top with quick pickled shallots and more grated Parmesan.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

5 out of 5
487 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Comments

karen b

I adjusted all ingredients to taste using less pickle brine using Orzo pasta and sour cream. Added: chopped flat leaf parsley and dill (dried or fresh). I skipped the cheese. I like the chopped pickles, but next time I will do half mayo, half sour cream.

Captain O

I love, really, really love, pickles but 2 cups plus the brine is way over the top even for me. And pickled shallots for more acidity plus parm for more salt? Yikes. Half the readers of the NYTimes will need to adjust their BP meds.

Jack

Wild recipe

Val

Pretty good exactly as is, but next time I’ll do half mayo half sour cream.

DryadH2O

Made this for the July 4th party, and it was a huge hit! At first it seemed like it would be too watery, so I used a combo of sour cream and mayo. It was creamy. Everyone loved it! I prepared the dish the night before and then let it warm up at room temperature for about 45 minutes before serving. All 8 guests had seconds! Warning: it’s very briny and pickle-y. Must love pickles and paste!

DryadH2O

Is this salad supposed to be chilled? Please and thanks!

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.