dill pickle crunch pasta salad
In a pickle about this week’s meal prep? I got a sweet dill for you.
Heh. Heh. Heeeeeeehohkay.
If all ya’ll thought I was joking when, in the past, I claimed to beat concepts to the ground until I got wholly sick of them and never touched the ingredient again…I was not joking. This is the summer of pickles. Literal pickles, not “this shit went to shit” pickles.
Well, that too, but let’s not trauma dump here.
As someone who does this food blogging shit purely on the side, I make it my goal to share things that typically use up an ingredient or two that I have around already. I do not buy bulk amounts of pickles or the same cut of pasta five times. I aim to, instead, cook and bake and mix intelligently, because that’s how most of us everyday derps plan our meals. In this day and age (and economy), practicality is just as relevant for me, as a recipe developer, as it is for anyone reading this. Especially since my income does not come from FMG or anything related.
Just a bit of transparency. Now, the food.
Jars of pickles rotate in and out of my fridge right now, and with the newest batch we’ve scrounged up this Dill Pickle Crunch Pasta Salad. I developed a serious weakness for Trader Joes’ baby kosher dillies and the constant company of a batch has rendered pickles a front and center component of late.
This easy pasta salad is the perfect companion for a barbecue – in fact, I’ll be cooking up some shrimp tonight – and meal preps just beautifully. We skimp not on the pickles, both in the salad itself and the dill ranch that I am completely enamored by right now. Honestly, I whip up a jar almost every week. Aside from Caesar dressing, which is always my numba one hoe, dill ranch is my favorite condiment at present.
Again, beating a good thing to death. It’s what I do around here. Not literally, though. That’s illegal.
Peter Piper Ain’t Shit
Because he picked a peck of pickled peppers, not cucumbers. So don’t worry, that bitch ain’t going for your dinner.
Kosher dill pickles are the name of the game here. Bread and butter or any sweet variety just won’t do. Use them for something else. Throw them at Peter Piper. I don’t give a shit.
Chop up plenty of the pickles. Toss some into a bowl along with Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, dried dill, garlic powder, onion powder, a few spoonfuls of brine, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Boom! Dill ranch. You will use most of this batch, potentially all of it, in this recipe.
Next, grab your favorite cut of short pasta (fusili corti and radiatori are my faves). Bring a big pot of salty water to a boil, toss in the pasta, and cook according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cool water to halt the cooking process.
Dump your pasta into a huge mixing bowl. Add some chopped romaine, sliced cucumber, crumbled tofu or regular bacon, the rest of the pickles you chopped, and cubes of pepper jack cheese. Pour over about half of the ranch and toss thoroughly to combine.
Note: if you don’t love spicy cheese, white cheddar is a good alternative!
Spoon out your portion of pasta salad and adorn with basil and fresh dill, more bacon, and extra ranch, of course. Or, pile into meal prep containers with the same assemblage process.
I do present the option, as always, of making a batch of tofu bacon as an alternative to regular bacon. You will need to add a good amount of prep time, but the yield will produce far more than you need for this recipe and works beautifully for other purposes throughout the week.
To make vegan-friendly, you can omit the cheese or use a plant-based favorite, and swap out the Greek yogurt for a nondairy yogurt or more vegan mayo. Can’t guarantee the taste will be the same, but if you have a branch you enjoy, I’m sure it’ll work great for you.
Cheers to the new week and new good foods!
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Pawsta:
Broccoli “Bacon” Caesar Pasta Salad
Chipotle Street Corn Dip Pasta Salad
dill pickle crunch pasta salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb short-cut pasta
- 2 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
- 2-3 Persian cucumbers, sliced
- 6-8 strips tofu or regular bacon, crumbled
- 1 cup pepper jack cheese, cubed
- 1/3 cup dill pickles, chopped
- fresh dill and basil, to serve
dill pickle ranch
- 1/2 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup vegan or regular mayonnaise
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 3 tbsp pickle brine
- 1/4 cup dill pickles, chopped
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and run under cool water to halt the cookage-ing. Cooking. Whatever
- Meanwhile, make the ranch. In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, mayo, dill, garlic, onion, pickle brine, chopped pickles, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Pour the pasta into a large bowl. Add the romaine, cucumbers, bacon/tofu bacon, pepper jack, and pickles. Pour over half of the ranch and toss to coat.
- Divide the pasta salad among bowls and serve with additional ranch, fresh dill, and basil, as desired.
Notes
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Drain and press a block of extra firm tofu to remove excess water for about 5-10 minutes. I make a homemade press by placing paper towels on a large plate, then the tofu, then more towels, another plate, and a skillet.
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Preheat oven to 450 degrees and lightly grease a large baking sheet. Slice the tofu very thin (as thin as you can without breaking it) and place onto the baking sheet.
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In a small bowl, whisk the soy sauce, maple syrup, smoked paprika, chili powder, and black pepper. Pour over the tofu and, using a basting brush, coat each slice. Flip, and brush the sauce over the opposite side. Let sit while the oven heats.
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Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping once halfway through baking time. Let cool on the baking sheet: the tofu will continue to crisp up.
