Creamy Dill Pickle Pasta Salad

Cook the pasta: Heat about 4 quarts of water in a large stockpot over high heat. Once boiling, add at least 1 tablespoon salt to season the water. Cook pasta (16 ounces) to al dente, or the minimum time on the package directions (7 minutes for my pasta). Drain well and rinse pasta with cold water to stop the cooking and bring to room temperature.

Soak the pasta: Transfer the pasta to a large, non-reactive bowl and stir in 4 tablespoons of the pickle juice. Soaking the pasta in pickle juice directly helps infuse more pickle flavor. Set aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Prepare the add-ins: Chop the kosher pickles (1 1/2 cups), mince the red onion (1/4 small), and finely chop the dill (0.5-ounce container), adding them to the pasta bowl as you go.

Make the dressing: Whisk together the Greek yogurt (2/3 cup), mayonnaise (2 tablespoons), olive oil (2 tablespoons), the remaining 2 tablespoons of pickle juice, Dijon mustard (1 teaspoon), garlic powder (1/4 teaspoon), cayenne pepper (1/8 teaspoon) and a good few grinds of black pepper until smooth. Don’t add any salt here, as the kosher pickles, the cooked pasta and the feta you’re about to add are all salty.

Mix the salad: Fold the dressing into the pasta until it is well coated. Then fold in the crumbled feta (1/2 cup), and taste to see if it needs any salt or more pepper.

Serve and store: Serve with additional fresh chopped dill and feta crumbles on top if desired. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The dressing will thicken as it chills. To freshen up leftovers before serving again, add a spritz of lemon juice and a drizzle of EVOO.