Description

A bright, creamy, and herbaceous cold pasta salad featuring cherry tomatoes and fresh dill. This easy summer side dish is perfect for barbecues, meal prep, and hot weather when you want to avoid turning on the stove.

Ingredients

Scale

1 pound (450g) rotini or fusilli pasta
2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped
1 cup full-fat sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 medium yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and black pepper to taste
Optional: 1 cup diced cucumber, 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, 2 hard-boiled eggs sliced

Instructions

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add rotini and cook until al dente (8-10 minutes).
Drain the pasta and rinse immediately with cold water to stop cooking. Shake off excess water.
While pasta cooks, halve the cherry tomatoes, finely dice the yellow onion, chop the fresh dill, and mince the garlic.
In a medium bowl, whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper until smooth.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta, tomatoes, onion, and dill.
Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture and toss gently but thoroughly until every piece is coated.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (ideally 2-4 hours) to allow flavors to meld.
Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper before serving cold or at room temperature.

Notes

Do not skip rinsing the pasta with cold water to prevent clumping. Fresh dill is essential for the best flavor; dried dill will result in a dusty taste. The salad tastes better the next day as flavors meld. If the salad becomes too thick after storing, stir in a splash of milk or cream before serving. Do not freeze this salad as the dairy will separate and pasta will become mushy.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Category: Side Dish
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 280
Sugar: 4
Sodium: 220
Fat: 12
Saturated Fat: 5
Carbohydrates: 38
Fiber: 2
Protein: 6

Keywords: pasta salad, dill pasta salad, summer side dish, cold pasta salad, creamy pasta salad, cherry tomato salad, meal prep, barbecue side dish