The summer is about half way over at this point and we are al starting to get ready for fall. But don’t throw in the towel just yet on some of our favorite summer salads. make this dill pickle pasta salad the next time you are making BBQ for dinner and your taste buds will thank you.
I mean lets be honest, what other time of year can you get away with calling things like pasta and potatoes a salad? take advantage and be a salad eater!
Ingredients you will need to make dill pickle pasta salad
- Farfalle pasta – use any shape of pasta that you like farfalle and fusilli are my favourite go to for pasta salad.
- Cucumber
- Celery
- Red bell pepper – I like to see as much colour as I can when I cook, If you only only colour that is ok and will still be as delicious.
- Orange bell pepper – if you like a bit of a kick you could add jalapeño or chili peppers.
- Large dill pickles – the key to dill pickle pasta salad
- Cheddar cheese
- Light flaked tuna
- Mayonnaise- us whatever brand you like, you can also add some salad dressing to the mix.
- Lemon juiced – if you don’t have lemons or lemon juice, use some of the juice from you pickle jar!
- Dried onion flakes – you can use fresh if you like the onion flavour. I like the way the dried flakes have more of a subtle taste.
- Dill – season with you heart and soul
- Parsley
- Chives
- Celery salt
- Basil
- Garlic salt
- Salt and pepper
- Piri piri seasoning for topping- this has a bit of a spice (very subtle) you can also use paprika.
How to make Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
1. Boil pasta
Boil pasta as per instructions on the package, drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
allow pasta to cool before making the salad.
add pasta to a very large bowl
2. Prepare and add your vegetables
dice the cucumber into small ½inch cubes. add it to the bowl
dice the celery and add them to the bowl
dice the bell peppers then add them to the bowl
dice the pickled and add the to the salad
dice the cheese and add them to the salad
4. Season
measure out your seasonings and add them to the bowl, the measurements in this recipe for seasonings are an estimation. measure with your heart and don’t sweat the small stuff.
5. Add Tuna
open and drain 2 cans of flaked tuna in water then add that to the bowl
add some mayonnaise and lemon juice.
6. Mix
mix everything together making sure all the seasoning and everything is well mixed together.
add more mayonnaise if you feel you need to. Consistency is a personal preference and can vary.
sprinkle the Piri piri seasoning on top to add flavour and colour, if you wont like spice (this only has a little) you can use paprika.
7. Chill your dill pickle pasta salad
cover and chill for 1 hour or over night. allowing the ingredients to meld together in the fridge is the best way to have this salad. If I’m making it for my own family I usually make it in the morning and let it chill all day. if its for an event I will almost always make it the day before unless we are in procrastination mode …. then well you know.
*Note
when serving you may find that the mayonnaise has been absorbed into the pasta especially if you are making this salad the day before and leaving it in the fridge over night. you can skip the top seasoning until you serve so u can add more mayo if the consistency is not what you were hoping for the next day then season for colour.
You could also add some salad dressing if you like to add to the flavor profile or to thin the dressing a bit in your salad. Try using ranch, Caesar or something I found called green goddess dressing.
Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 box Farfalle pasta
- 1 med cucumber
- 2 stalks celery
- ½ red bell pepper
- ½ orange bell pepper
- 3-4 large dill pickles
- ½ cup cubed cheddar cheese
- 2 can light flaked tuna
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 1 lemon juiced
- ¼ cup dried onion flakes
- 1 tbsp dill
- ½ tsp parsley
- 2 tbsp chives
- 1 tsp celery salt
- ½ tsp basil
- 2 tsp garlic salt
- salt and pepper to taste
- Piri piri seasoning for topping
Instructions
- Boil pasta as per instructions on the package, drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
- allow pasta to cool before making the salad.
- add pasta to a very large bowl
- dice the cucumber into small ½inch cubes. add it to the bowl
- dice the celery and add them to the bowl
- dice the bell peppers then add them to the bowl
- dice the pickled and add the to the salad
- dice the cheese and add them to the salad
- measure out your seasonings and add them to the bowl, the measurements in this recipe for seasonings are an estimation. measure with your heart and don't sweat the small stuff.
- open and drain 2 cans of flaked tuna in water then add that to the bowl
- add some mayonnaise and lemon juice.
- mix everything together making sure all the seasoning and everything is well mixed together.
- add more mayonnaise if you feel you need to. Consistency is a personal preference and can vary.
- sprinkle the Piri piri seasoning on top to add flavour and colour, if you wont like spice (this only has a little) you can use paprika.
- cover and chill for 1 hour or over night.
