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 1
Total Time
30 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Rating
5(428)
Comments
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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. 

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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.

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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.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
428 user ratings
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Comments

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.

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.

Jack

Wild recipe

S

So odd... It’s like if a toddler watched Shrek and then made dinner for him. Not bad, though.

Pegmat

OK this sounded so weird that I had to try it… glad I did! Perfect accompaniment to simple grilled chicken breasts because it has so much flavor! Loved this! I actually added a bit more salt, cuz I like salt and because the Grillos pickles I used are not as salty as Clausen or others, IMO. Essentially made the recipe as written but wanted more green salad material to make it more healthy. So added some coarsely chopped parsley but I can see this with romaine. This is going to be a regular in my potluck and entertaining rotations.

lori

I love pickles and love pasta and was very excited about this, but it’s only OK. I was worried about all the comments that it would be too salty and ended up, salting it too little. I wanted some protein, so added tuna which I think through the flavor balance off.

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