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Fresh Cucumber Pasta Salad

Fresh cucumber pasta salad with crisp cucumbers, tomatoes, and red onion tossed in a creamy dill dressing. Chilled for at least 1 hour so the flavors meld and the pasta stays tender-crisp.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chilling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta salad base
  • 1 lb rotini or penne pasta
  • 2 cucumbers Diced into bite-size pieces.
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes Halved.
  • 0.5 cup red onion Finely diced.
Creamy dill dressing
  • 0.5 cup mayonnaise
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 2 tbsp fresh dill Chopped.
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 garlic Minced clove.
  • 0.25 salt To taste.
  • 0.25 pepper To taste.

Method
 

Cook and cool the pasta
  1. Cook rotini or penne pasta according to package directions, then drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking and cool it quickly.
  2. Let the drained pasta sit while you make the dressing so it’s ready to toss without being warm.
Make the creamy dill dressing
  1. Whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, fresh dill, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper until smooth and fully combined.
Assemble and chill
  1. Combine pasta, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and red onion in a large bowl.
  2. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat every piece of pasta and cucumber.
  3. Refrigerate the salad for at least 1 hour so it thickens slightly and tastes well blended.
  4. Toss again before serving and adjust seasoning as needed for the final flavor balance.

Notes

For best texture, dice cucumbers bite-size and keep the salad well chilled so the cucumbers stay crisp. Store in the refrigerator up to 3 days; freeze is not recommended because the cucumbers and dressing can weep and soften. For a lighter option, replace half the mayonnaise with plain Greek yogurt for a tangier, lower-fat dressing.