Pasta Salad with Dill Weed
This post may contain affiliate links.
This colorful pasta salad with dill weed recipe is perfect for a summer meal or side dish. Cool, refreshing, and creamy, and made with fresh seasonal vegetables and dill weed. Be sure to check out our other great summer salad recipes.
This cold pasta salad is the perfect side dish or meal to enjoy year-round. It is especially refreshing when the weather is hot and you want to enjoy a simple salad. As you know, all our recipes have to be two things, delicious and simple.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Fresh and Flavorful: The dill weed adds a fresh, herby flavor that complements the crisp vegetables and creamy dressing.
- Simple Ingredients: Made with common pantry items like mayonnaise, vinegar, and sugar, plus fresh veggies.
- Quick to Prepare: Follow the package directions for cooking pasta, mix everything in a large bowl, and refrigerate.
- Versatile: Perfect as a side dish for a summer picnic, BBQ, or light lunch.
- Customizable: Easy to make variations with different types of pasta and vegetables.
Ingredients for this dill pasta salad recipe
- Real mayonnaise
- White vineager
- Sugar
- Cold pasta
- Red onion, chopped
- Cucumber
- Tomato
- Chopped bell peppers
- Dill weed
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
How to make creamy pasta salad
- Cook pasta as directed on package.
- Rinse pasta with cold water and drain.
- Chop washed cucumber, onions, and tomatoes.
- Add vegetables to the drained and cooled pasta.
- Add mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, salt, dill weed, and pepper, and mix well.
- Add to a covered serving bowl and refrigerate. After chilling at least an hour, serve and enjoy.
Save The Recipe!
Add your email below and we’ll send it straight to your inbox+ you’ll receive all our newest recipes
Tips for the Best Results
- Cook Pasta Al Dente: Ensure your pasta is cooked al dente, as it will continue to absorb flavors as it cools.
- Chill Your Ingredients: Use cold water to rinse the cooked pasta and make sure all vegetables are chilled for a refreshing cold salad.
- Mix Dressing Separately: Combine mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, salt, dill weed, and pepper in a small bowl before adding to the salad to ensure even distribution.
- Let it Sit: Allow the salad to sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving to let the flavors meld together.
- Pre-Cut Veggies: Use pre-cut onions from the grocery store, or prepare your own vegetables the day before and store in the refrigerator.
- Pre-Shredded Cheese: Use packaged shredded Parmesan cheese.
- Make Ahead: Make this recipe the day before, and it will be ready for you when you are.
Substitutions and Variations
- Type of Pasta: Use bowtie pasta, linguine, chickpea pasta, or even macaroni for variety.
- Add Protein: Include diced cheddar cheese, pepper jack, or feta cheese, or even some grilled chicken or shrimp for a more filling dish.
- Herb Swaps: Fresh dill is ideal, but dried dill can be used if that’s what you have on hand.
- Alternative Dressings: Swap mayonnaise for Greek yogurt or sour cream for a tangier flavor.
- Extra Crunch: Add chopped dill pickles, baby dill pickles, dill relish, or sweet pickles for extra crunch and flavor.
- Colorful Peppers: If you are packing this salad to take to a potluck, I like to change up the colors of the bell peppers for a fun variety.
- Extra Pickle Flavor: Add a bit of dill pickle juice to the mixture for an extra burst of pickle flavor.
FAQs About This Recipe
Yes, this pasta salad can be made a day ahead. In fact, it often tastes better the next day as the flavors have more time to meld.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep well for up to three days.
Yes, you can use apple cider vinegar or lemon juice as a substitute for white vinegar for a slightly different flavor profile.
If you don’t have fresh dill, dried dill works well. Use about half the amount of dried dill compared to fresh.
Rinse the cooked pasta with cold water and toss with a little bit of olive oil before mixing it with other ingredients.
More great pasta salad recipes
Cold Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons.white vineager
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 4 cups cold pasta
- 1/4 cup onion chopped
- 1 cucumber
- 1 to mato
- 1/2 cup chopped bell peppers
- 1 teaspoon dill weed
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta as directed on package.
- Rinse pasta with cold water and drain.
- Chop washed cucumber, onions and tomatoes.
- Add vegetables to drained pasta.
- Add mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, salt, dill weed and pepper and mix well.
- Refrigerate.
Nutrition
If you are not yet subscribing to my CELEBRATE THE SEASON newsletter, you can subscribe here. I share easy recipes for the season that the entire family is sure to love and also a few things that I don’t share here.
YUM! Pasta Salad is one of my favorite foods. I like to skip onions, but I’d use a lot of the bell peppers! And maybe celery. YUM again.
This sounds and looks delicious! Pinned.
Thanks so much Cheryl!
It’s getting to be the time of year that cold salads make for a good dinner. – Margy
love salads like this perfect for summer time but I truly like them year round
come see us at http://shopannies.blogspot.com
Pinned! Looking forward to trying this recipe out. Thanks for sharing at #HomeMattersParty