It's hard to deny that pickles have been taking social media by storm over the past year.
You've likely tried the famous TikTok recipe for fried cheese pickles (what's not to love about that?), and maybe you've even sipped on a Matthew-Mcconaughey-approved pickle margarita. Regardless of how you've seen pickles being used in a culinary application, we're just happy to see them getting some much-deserved time in the limelight beyond being enjoyed a la carte or in sandwiches.
While the best-selling Canadian cookbook Prairie isn't necessarily pickle-centric, there are many times throughout Dan Clapson's book where tips and tricks and for using pickles and pickle brine are mentioned. One of the quirkiest might be his recipe for dill pickle sauce gribiche...and then there were a few other pickle recipes that wound up on the editing room floor like this playful dill pickle pasta sauce recipe.
"You need to have a lot of recipe drafts when putting together a cookbook, and at the end of the day, not all of them can make it into the final product," says Dan Clapson. "My recipe for dill pickle pasta sauce is perfect for pickle lovers, of course, but I wouldn't lead with that when you're serving it to people. Just say it's a damn tasty pasta sauce!"
Dill pickle pasta sauce
1 tbsp canola oil
2 yellow onions, sliced
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 large dill pickles, chopped (approximately 1/2 cup)
1 large white potato, diced (approximately 1 1/4 cups)
2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 tbsp pickle brine
1 stalk fresh rosemary
1 sprig fresh thyme
4 cups fresh spinach leaves
1 tbsp salted butter
salt and pepper, to taste
Heat oil in medium pan on medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until softened, about 5 min.
Add garlic, pickles potato, broth, brine, herbs and bring to a simmer. Cover and allow to cook for 10 min to infuse herbs.
Uncover, discard herbs and add spinach leaves and butter. Once spinach has softened and butter has melted into mixture, about 3-4 minutes, puree until smooth with an immersion blender.
Season to taste with salt and pepper and keep warm on stove until ready to sauce your pasta of choice.
Enjoy!
- Yield:
- Serves 4
- Prep Time:
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time:
- 30 minutes
