Cucumber Crunch Pasta Salad (Printable)

Refreshing shells with crisp cucumbers, dill, and everything bagel seasoning in creamy dressing.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 8 oz small shell pasta
02 - 1 tsp salt for pasta water

→ Vegetables

03 - 2 cups cucumber, diced (about 1 large English cucumber)
04 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced

→ Fresh Herbs

05 - 2 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped

→ Dressing

06 - ½ cup sour cream
07 - ¼ cup mayonnaise
08 - 1 tbsp lemon juice
09 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
10 - 1 clove garlic, minced
11 - ½ tsp salt
12 - ¼ tsp ground black pepper

→ Seasoning

13 - 1½ tbsp everything bagel seasoning

# Steps:

01 - Cook the shell pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool completely.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper until smooth.
03 - Add the cooled pasta, diced cucumber, green onions, and fresh dill to the bowl. Toss gently to combine.
04 - Sprinkle in the everything bagel seasoning and fold until evenly distributed throughout the salad.
05 - Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving for optimal flavor development.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The everything bagel seasoning is the secret that makes people pause and ask what is in this
  • Cools down pasta in fifteen minutes flat with zero cooking stress
  • Gets better overnight so you can make it the night before your gathering
02 -
  • Rinse the pasta thoroughly under cold water or the residual heat will turn your dressing into soup
  • The everything bagel seasoning gets soggy if added too far ahead, wait until the pasta is completely cooled
  • This salad needs at least thirty minutes in the fridge to taste like itself
03 -
  • Use a sharp knife to dice the cucumber into small pieces so every forkful gets that crunch
  • Finely chop the dill so it disperses evenly instead of clumping together
  • Let the salad come out of the fridge for ten minutes before serving if it has been chilling all day
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