Shrimp Pasta Salad
This shrimp pasta salad recipe is packed with flavor and perfect for picnics, potlucks or barbecues.
Ingredients Needed
- Pasta. I used elbow macaroni but use any short pasta shape of your choice. Macaroni, fusilli, rotini, pasta shells, etc.
- Shrimp. I used raw frozen jumbo shrimp as I prefer them over salad shrimp. However, if you want a smaller shrimp (great because they’re bite-size) feel free to use them instead. I prefer peeling the shrimp myself as I find they are much juicier once cooked than peeled frozen shrimp.
- Vegetables: I added red onion, red bell pepper and celery for colour and texture. I like adding a bit of crunch to my pasta salads. Cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and green onions can be added too.
- For the dressing: Mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, ketchup fresh chives, salt and black pepper. Other fresh herbs like fresh dill and parsley, Old bay seasoning, garlic powder, etc can all be added too.
How to make shrimp pasta salad
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, stir together the mayo, sour cream, lemon juice, dijon mustard, finely chopped chives, a squeeze of honey, salt and black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Cook the shrimp and pasta: Bring a large pot of water to the boil. To add even more flavor, I like to add a sliced lemon, a teaspoon of peppercorns and four garlic cloves. This is completely optional and you can poach the shrimp in simply salted water. Once boiling, add the peeled and deveined shrimp and poach for a minute or until they are opaque pink then remove from the water and rinse under cold water then allow to drain. Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente then drain and rinse under cool water.
- Assemble: Add the cooked pasta, shrimp, finely diced vegetables and dressing in a large bowl and toss together until combined. Taste and adjust seasoning then serve.
Can I make this in advance?
Yes, this pasta salad can be made up to 2 days in advance. I like to make it an hour or two ahead for the flavors to develop. Keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.
Serving suggestions
Cold pasta salad is the ultimate picnic food and we love this shrimp macaroni salad served at picnics. It’s also a fantastic side dish if you need to take something to a potluck, barbecue/cookout. Leftovers make a great lunch the next day and we love it served for dinner when it’s too hot to cook. This recipe pairs well with other salads like Easy tomato feta green bean salad and Grilled Corn Salad.
Servings: 8 as a side dish
Calories: 318kcal
Ingredients
- 1 lb (500g) pasta
- 1½ lb (750g) shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 medium red onion finely chopped
- 1 red bell pepper finely chopped
- 3 celery ribs finely chopped
for the dressing
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2-3 tsp honey
- 1-2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp fresh chives finely chopped
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil then add the shrimp. I often add a sliced lemon, black peppercorns and garlic cloves to the water to add more flavor.
- Cook for a minute then remove the shrimp with a slotted spoon. Rinse under cold water and allow to drain.
- Remove any aromatics (if used) from the water then add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente.
- Drain the pasta, rinse under cold water to remove any starch then allow to cool while you prep the rest of the salad.
- Make the dressing by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl. Stir together, taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Combine the pasta, shrimp, diced vegetables and dressing in a large mixing bowl.
- Toss to combine, taste and adjust seasoning if necessary .
- At this point you can serve the pasta salad immediately or cover and place in the fridge for up to 2 days. I like to refrigerate the salad for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 318kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 113mg | Sodium: 639mg | Potassium: 180mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 700IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Pasta Salad Recipes
