Bacon Dill Pickle Pasta Salad

 

 

Is it too early in the season to share a delicious pasta salad recipe?  I hope not because I have a really delicious one to share with you today!  Bacon Dill Pickle Pasta Salad.  Dill pickle lovers will find themselves unable to resist this delicious salad which is loaded with flavors and textures!

The original recipe comes from a page called Whole and Heavenly Oven.  The original recipe made six fabulous servings. I have reduced it to make only three, which is plenty for me!

 

What you have here is a delicious salad composed of tender fusilli pasta tossed together with creamy chunks of cheddar cheese, smoky bacon, as well as crisp dill pickles, sharp red onions and a rich and creamy dill dressing.

Make sure you use the best and freshest that you have of all the ingredients and you can be sure that you will have one really amazing salad to enjoy!

 

I am a person who enjoys salad any time of the year. Lunch, supper, as a main, or as a side. I have even been known to enjoy salad for breakfast.

Pasta salads are one of my favorite types of salads.  They are great to take to potluck suppers or to take in your lunch to work.  They are delicious at any time as far as I am concerned and I hope that you will agree!

I was really pleased with the way this one came out.  It was a fabulous mix of flavors and textures. I am a dill pickle lover from way back, so it really appealed to my pickle loving soul. There was the perfect contrast of smokiness from the bacon and tanginess from the pickles and don't get me started on the creaminess of the cheese. Put cheese in something and I am all there!

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE BACON DILL PICKLE PASTA SALAD

Bear in mind this is a small batch recipe. If you are making this for a larger crowd you may want to double the ingredients listed below.

For the salad:

• 1/2 pound (2 cups/227g) uncooked spiral pasta
• 3 strips of streaky bacon, diced 1/4 inch and cooked until crisp
• 2 ounces (60g) of medium/strong cheddar cheese, diced small
• 1/2 cup (4 large) dill pickles finely diced
• 4 TBS finely diced red onions
• salt and pepper to taste

For the dressing:

• 1/3 cup (73g) full fat mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup (80g) full fat Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup (60ml) dill pickle juice
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried dill weed
• salt and black pepper to taste

 

I used fusilli pasta. It has the perfect shape to grab and cup the dressing, always important when making a pasta salad.

You can use peameal bacon, or back bacon if you wish. What I don't recommend using is those already cooked bacon bits. Cook your own bacon and crumble it.

Use a good cheddar cheese. You can use orange or white.  You want one with a nice flavor that will stand up to the other ingredients in the salad.

Finely dice your onions and pickles for the best texture and flavor.  Big chunks of either one are quite unappealing.

I use full fat ingredients as there is less danger of them splitting.  

 

 

HOW TO MAKE BACON DILL PICKLE PASTA SALAD

This salad is not hard to make at all. Be sure to check out all of my hints and tips for making a great pasta salad, which follow.

Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Set aside.

Cook the pasta according to the package directions to al dente in a saucepan of boiling lightly salted water. Drain well. Rinse in cold water to cool off and drain again.

 

While the pasta is cooking, cook your bacon and then chop all of your pickles, onions, cheese. Drain the bacon well.

Toss the cooled pasta with all of the vegetables, the cheese and the bacon. Add the dressing and fold everything together gently to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as required.

Place into a bowl, cover tightly and chill until ready to serve. (Remember to let the salad sit at room temperature for about half an hour prior to serving for the best flavor and textures.)

 

HINTS AND TIPS FOR MAKING GREAT PASTA SALADS

Long standing favorites at picnics and potlucks, portable lunches, etc. who doesn't love a pasta salad. Here are my hints and tips for making a really great one!

1. Make it interesting by making sure you have a nice combination of textures, including firm, cooked, soft and raw ingredients. Blanch tougher veggies (like broccoli) to make them easier to eat. A handful of nuts or seeds can also help to boost the texture.

2. Use creative ingredients to super-charge the flavors. Consider spicy, salty, sweet or acidic when choosing ingredients to fill and or dress your salad.  A classic vinaigrette dressing is nice but you can greatly enhance it by using a flavored vinegar, such as balsamic, cider or even tarragon. Spicy pickled peppers can add a lovely punch and kick. Honey or maple syrup added to the dressing can add a lovely natural sweetness.

3. Make sure you use the right kind of pasta for the salad you are making. With over 350 different kinds of pasta out there, we really are spoilt for choice.  The type of pasta you use will depend on the type of salad you are making and the kind of dressing you wish to use.  Filled pastas should be avoided as the fillings can be somewhat appealing when served cold. You want a pasta shape that will hug the dressing and act as little sauce magnets. Pasta that cups or collect is best.  Short cut pastas also work best in my opinion. Ditalini, elbow macaroni, fusilli, bow tie, radiatori, cavatappi, and orecchiette all work very well.

4. Cook your pasta only to al dente.  Soggy over-cooked pasta is very unappealing. Bear in mind that your pasta will absorb some of the dressing, so you really don't want it to be overcooked to begin with. Also salt your pasta well when you are cooking it. 1 TBS per quart of water is usually sufficient.

5. If you have them available try using fresh herbs. Delicate herbs such as parsley, chives, basil, tarragon, cilantro/coriander and mint work best.  Dill is also very nice.  To preserve the freshness and color, wait to add fresh herbs until just prior to serving. Use caution when using fresh herbs with really strong flavors such as sage and rosemary.

6.  Dress your pasta salad while the pasta is still warm when using a vinaigrette dressing.  Wait until it is cool when using a mayonnaise-based dressing.  Mayonnaise is susceptible to separating when heated. It is also preferable to make your own dressing from scratch rather than relying on a readymade dressing.

7. Always save a bit of dressing back to stir into your salad just prior to serving. Keep it covered and chilled and then stir in at the last minute.

8. Make pasta salads ahead of time in order to let the flavors meld and develop even more flavor. It is also best to allow them to come to room temperature prior to serving.  This helps the flavors to present themselves at their very best. Just be sure not to let it sit out for more than two hours to help prevent the risk of illness from bacterial growth.

  

I love pasta salads. They are usually very quick to make and are great to make ahead of time. Also fabulous for taking to potluck suppers and the like. Great for picnics and Barbeques. Here are a couple more of my favorite pasta salads that I think you might also enjoy!

 

 

BACON & TOMATO PASTA SALAD - All the flavors of your favorite toasted sandwich in a delicious salad!  With fresh cherry tomatoes, crisp bacon, spring onions and celery. Mix that with some fusilli and a punchy creamy dressing and you have a salad combination that goes with just about anything! 

TEX MEX PASTA SALAD - With red and yellow cherry tomatoes, red onions, peppers, sweet corn, avocado, coriander and black beans! Add a zippy Tex Mex dressing and Bob's your Uncle!  This salad goes well with most proteins! I love to use Farfalle for this one. Add some cubed cooked meat or cheese and you can easily turn this fabulous salad into a delicious main dish salad!

Yield: 3 servings

Author: Marie Rayner

Bacon Dill Pickle Salad

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

This fabulous salad is loaded with lot of yummy flavors and textures. Tender al dente pasta, cheddar cheese, bacon, dill pickles and red onions in a deliciously creamy dill dressing. What's not to love?

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 1/2 pound (2 cups/227g) uncooked spiral pasta
• 3 strips of streaky bacon, diced 1/4 inch and cooked until crisp
• 2 ounces (60g) of medium/strong cheddar cheese, diced small
• 1/2 cup (4 large) dill pickles finely diced
• 4 TBS finely diced red onions
• salt and pepper to taste

For the dressing:

• 1/3 cup (73g) full fat mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup (80g) full fat Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup (60ml) dill pickle juice
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried dill weed
• salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Set aside.
2. Cook the pasta according to the package directions to al dente in a saucepan of boiling lightly salted water. Drain well. Rinse in cold water to cool off and drain again.
3. While the pasta is cooking, cook your bacon and then chop all of your pickles, onions, cheese. Drain the bacon well.
4. Toss the cooled pasta with all of the vegetables, the cheese and the bacon. Add the dressing and fold everything together gently to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as required.
5. Place into a bowl, cover tightly and chill until ready to serve.

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