Shrimp Pasta Salad is the perfect dish for summer—cool, refreshing, and delicious. Serve it at your next BBQ or anytime you want a quick and easy meal.
Shrimp and pasta go so well together that it is no surprise that shrimp pasta salad recipes are plentiful online. It is the perfect summertime lunch or dinner, or for any time of year when you want a light, cool, refreshing, and tasty meal. You will love this refreshing take on a classic dish that is quick and easy to prepare, delicious to eat, and convenient to take to work or on picnics.
Shrimp pasta salads like this one are a popular choice for BBQs, potlucks, picnics, and other gatherings. They’re not only crowd-pleasers but look great on a table. You can make a large batch in no time, and your guests will appreciate the elegant dish you’ve prepared. The best part? They don’t have to know how simple it was to make.
Choosing the Right Shrimp for Salads
Decisions, decisions! Do you follow the recipe and use salad shrimp, or do you opt for a larger shrimp? What are salad shrimp? These are questions that plague cooks from coast to coast. The internet is not always helpful, as one website might mention 250/300 count salad shrimp, which are those teensy, tiny little mini or baby shrimp you might see in salads at the grocery store, while another one says they are 100 to a pound.
There are more than 10 different shrimp sizes listed online, which can get confusing. Here’s the deal—use what you like. If you want shrimp in every bite, go for those itty-bitty salad shrimp. Do you want a pretty display with big, succulent shrimp? Go for it! You can also cut up larger shrimp into delectable chunks. No matter what you choose, your pasta salad will turn out delicious.
How to Avoid Pasta Mistakes When Making Salad
If you’ve ever made pasta salad only to have the pasta fall apart and turn mushy, it might be because you followed the package instructions. The cooking time is based on making pasta to serve with sauce on top, not to add to other dishes, such as salads and casseroles (for which you need to cook it for less time). Cooking your pasta for approximately 2 minutes less than instructed makes it al dente—still firm to the bite, yet not too hard to eat. Don’t forget to rinse the pasta under cold water to stop the cooking process.
How to Make Ahead and Store
You can make shrimp pasta salad the day before you serve it, which is good since it gives the flavors a chance to meld. If you make it the same day you want to serve it, be sure to refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes so the flavors can come together. Your pasta salad is good for up to 3 days when refrigerated in an airtight container. Because pasta absorbs the dressing, you may want to stir in more mayonnaise before serving leftovers. Pasta salads do not freeze well, so enjoy now.
Serving Suggestions
When serving this salad, don’t let it sit at room temperature for more than 30 minutes—keep it in a cooler or bowl of ice so it doesn’t spoil. The same holds for any mayonnaise or dairy-based salad. I like to serve Shrimp Deviled Eggs with this salad, as they carry the theme nicely. This Tomato Watermelon Blueberry Salad makes a delicious and colorful addition to your buffet table. Add a platter of fresh Peach Scones and you have the perfect summer meal.
Shrimp Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 12 ounces cooked salad shrimp thawed
- 8 ounces rotini pasta uncooked
- 1 cup celery diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1/2 cup red onion finely chopped
- 1 cup frozen peas thawed
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente, then drain and rinse under cold water to cool. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked pasta, celery, red bell pepper, red onion, peas, and thawed shrimp.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice, white vinegar, sugar, dill, salt, and pepper to create the dressing.
- Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture and gently toss until all ingredients are evenly coated.
- Cover the salad and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow flavors to meld together before serving.
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