This creamy dill pasta salad is packed with colorful veggies, hard boiled eggs, cheddar cheese, and a homemade dill dressing that pulls everything together perfectly. It’s fresh, filling, and one of those recipes that genuinely gets better the longer it sits in the fridge — making it perfect for meal prep, potlucks, and summer BBQs. If you love easy cold pasta salads, you’ll also want to check out my cilantro lime pasta salad for another favorite.
Why You’ll Love This Creamy Dill Pasta Salad
- Packed with protein – Hard boiled eggs, cheddar cheese, and Greek yogurt in the dressing make this a protein-packed pasta that can be a complete meal in itself.
- Homemade dill dressing – The creamy dill dressing comes together in minutes and is so much better than anything store-bought. Greek yogurt keeps it light without sacrificing creaminess.
- Make ahead friendly – This pasta salad is one of those recipes that tastes even better the next day once all the flavors have had time to marinate together.
- Colorful and crowd-pleasing – Red bell pepper, spinach, corn, and cheddar make this as pretty to look at as it is to eat — always one of the first bowls to disappear at a gathering.
- Easy to customize – Swap the veggies, skip the eggs, add more cheese — this recipe is very forgiving and easy to make your own.
- Great for meal prep – Make a big batch on Sunday and you’ve got easy lunches covered for most of the week.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Pasta – The hearty base of the salad. Short noodles work best for this, like macaroni, bow-tie, penne, spiral, etc.
- Hard boiled eggs – Adds extra protein and a creamy texture that complement the crisp vegetables and cheese.
- Red onion – Finely diced for a bit of sharpness and a zesty crunch.
- Red bell pepper – Crunchy and vibrant red pieces that offer a slight sweetness and a beautiful color contrast.
- Cheddar cheese cubes – Cut a cheddar cheese block into small cubes. I used half on an 8 ounce block in this recipe.
- Corn – Fresh (cooked), frozen (thawed) or canned. The sweet, juicy kernels work so well with the rest of the ingredients.
- Fresh spinach – Fresh and leafy greens that bring a nutritious boost and a subtle earthiness to the mix. Chop into small pieces.
- Parmesan cheese – A freshly grated Parmesan cheese brings all the flavors together perfectly.
For the dressing:
- Plain Greek yogurt – A creamy base with a rich texture that also adds nutrients, like protein and probiotics.
- Mayonnaise – Provides a smooth consistency and a mild, sweet flavor that balances the tartness of the yogurt.
- Dill seasoning – Fresh and aromatic, this herb infuses the dressing with a distinctive, slightly sweet, and earthy flavor.
- Garlic – Minced or crushed to add a robust, savory depth and a bit of a kick to the dressing.
- Salt & pepper – These classic seasonings are not to be underestimated. Adjust at the end to your liking.
- Lemon – Freshly squeezed juice and finely grated zest of half a lemon adds a bright, citrusy tang that elevates the entire dressing.
Tips for the Best Creamy Dill Pasta Salad
Use fresh dill if you can – Dried dill works fine in a pinch, but fresh dill takes the dressing to a completely different level. It’s worth grabbing a bunch if your grocery store has it.
Don’t skip the lemon zest – The zest adds a brightness to the dressing that juice alone doesn’t give you. It’s a small step that makes a noticeable difference.
Make it ahead – This salad is genuinely better after a few hours in the fridge. If you can make it the night before, do it.
Add the eggs last – Gently fold the hard boiled eggs in at the end so they don’t break apart and get lost in the dressing.
Taste before serving – The pasta absorbs the dressing as it sits, so give it a stir and a quick taste before serving. A little extra Greek yogurt, lemon juice or a pinch of salt can freshen it right back up.
If you make this creamy dill pasta salad, I’d love to know what you think — leave a rating below! Just scroll to the end of this page until you see the row of stars. I appreciate it so much!
Creamy Dill Rainbow Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the Dressing:
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp dill seasoning
- ½ tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- juice and zest from half a lemon
For the Pasta Salad:
- 16 ounces pasta any short noodle
- 5 hard boiled eggs chopped
- ½ red onion diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 2 cups fresh spinach chopped
- 1 cup corn fresh (cooked), frozen (thawed) or canned
- 4 oz cheddar cheese block cut into cubes
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with water and cook pasta according to package instructions.
- While you wait for the pasta, add all the dressing ingredients to a large bowl (the bowl you will be serving the pasta from), and stir well. Set the bowl aside.
- You can also prep the veggies while you wait for the pasta. Finely dice the onion and bell pepper, chop the spinach into smaller pieces, roughly chop the hard boiled eggs and cut your cheddar into small cubes.
- Once pasta is done cooking, move to a strainer and drain well. Once drained, add pasta to the large bowl with the dressing. Stir a few times.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the pasta and gently stir until everything is mixed well. (Eggs, onion, bell pepper, spinach, corn, cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese.)
- Taste and add more salt, pepper or Parmesan to your liking. Serve immediately or cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to enjoy.
- If you could take a quick second to give this recipe a rating below, that would mean the world! Thank you so much!
Nutrition
Storage
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4–5 days. The flavors keep developing as it sits, so don’t be surprised if it tastes even better on day two or three. :)
Before serving leftovers: Give it a good stir and add a small spoonful of Greek yogurt or a squeeze of lemon juice to freshen up the dressing — the pasta absorbs quite a bit as it chills.
More Cold Pasta Salad Recipes
If you loved this creamy dill pasta salad, I have plenty more easy pasta salad recipes to keep you covered all year long — from light and herby to bold and zesty.
