Shrimp Pasta Salad

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This Shrimp Pasta Salad is a combination of juicy shrimp, tender pasta, and veggies like celery, pepper, peas, and corn. The creamy dressing is perfectly tangy and made with fresh dill.

Table Of Contents

Recipe Details
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
Add-ins and Substitutions
How to Make Shrimp Pasta Salad
Recipe Tips
FAQs
Serving Suggestions
Make This Recipe in Advance
More Tasty Pasta Salads!
Full Recipe Instructions

Recipe Details

I love this Shrimp Pasta Salad, especially during the summer months. Pasta salad is a staple at parties and barbecues and this dish levels up with shrimp and homemade dressing. I always get compliments on it and you will, too!

TASTE: The vegetables add lots of sweet and fresh flavors to the salad that go great with the shrimp. The dressing is made with sweet mayo, tangy sour cream, and herbaceous dill.
TEXTURE: From the tender shrimp to the al dente pasta, to the crunchy red pepper and celery, this salad has a lot going on. And the smooth, creamy dressing is perfect for it.
TIME: This recipe will take about 30 minutes.
EASE: Except for cooking the pasta, this is an easy cold shrimp salad to throw together. And the homemade dressing is a breeze.

What You’ll Need

Ingredients for Shrimp Pasta Salad: sour cream, corn, peas, mayonnaise, green onions, salt, pepper, dill, celery, cooked shrimp, red pepper, and pasta.

Ingredient Notes

Shrimp- We are using cooked deveined shrimp that have their tails removed to save time.
Vegetables- Red bell pepper, Celery, Corn, Peas, and Green onions all add texture and flavor to this dish. You can use frozen peas and corn as long as you drain and thaw them.
Pasta- I love rotini for this salad because it catches the dressing in all the spirals, giving fabulous flavor in every bite.
Mayonnaise- This ingredient is the base for the creamy dressing and adds a little sweetness.
Sour cream- This gives the dressing a little tangy flavor and smooth texture.
Herbs and Seasonings- Salt, Black pepper, and Fresh dill help the dressing taste even better. Dried dill can be used, but fresh is best.

Add-ins and Substitutions

Make it lighter- If you want a lighter version of this Shrimp Pasta Salad, use lower-fat mayo and sour cream.
Substitute another pasta- We love rotini, but any small pasta will work here. Try this recipe with penne, fusilli, farfalle, cavatappi, or elbow macaroni noodles.
Add other vegetables- We can make this recipe in a number of ways. You can enjoy it with other veggies like red onion, cherry tomatoes, or olives.
Make it with other proteins- This salad is also tasty with cubed cheese or salami. You can also make it with chicken or crab meat.

How to Make Shrimp Pasta Salad

Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper.
Cook pasta. Then boil your pasta in salted water and cook it al dente. Rinse it with cold water in a colander to stop it from overcooking.
Combine everything. Add the cooled pasta to a large bowl with the dressing, shrimp, green onion, celery, bell pepper, chopped dill, peas, and corn.
Mix and serve. Use a large spoon to mix everything together well. Serve chilled and enjoy!

Pro Tip: Make sure to rinse the pasta with cool water. Otherwise it will continue to cook, making it mushy so it breaks apart when the salad is mixed.

Steps to make Shrimp Pasta Salad: combine sour cream, mayo, salt, and pepper with a whisk, then add chopped pepper, green onion, celery, peas, corn, dill, shrimp, and pasta to a bowl, and mix well.

Recipe Tips

Use one bowl- This is such an easy recipe, you can make it in just one bowl. Make the dressing first and then add everything and mix to avoid lots of dishes and extra work.
Choose cooked shrimp- It saves you so much time when you’re making a potluck salad like this to buy pre-cooked shrimp that has already been deveined and tails off.
Chop the veggies to bite-sized pieces- Chopping the vegetable to about the same size as the peas and corn ensures that every bite will have a little of everything.
Serve it chilled- With the mayo-based dressing and shrimp, this pasta salad is so much better when cold. Keep it in the fridge, covered, until you’re ready to serve.

FAQs

What dressing goes best with shrimp salad?

The best dressing for shrimp pasta salad is a creamy mayo-based dressing. It has great flavor, lots of versatility, and adheres to the pasta and shrimp really well. But you can also use a lemon-dill sauce or a tangy vinaigrette.

What gives shrimp salad the best flavor?

This shrimp salad uses simple salt and pepper and fresh dill for flavor in a tangy dressing. But you can also use lemon juice, Old Bay Seasoning, Dijon mustard, or tarragon to tweak the flavors.

Serving Suggestions

This recipe for homemade Shrimp Pasta Salad is perfect with so many other dishes. It’s great for barbecues and get-togethers with tasty breads, other salads, and appetizers.

Breads: Serve this salad with some toasted baguettes or rolls. I like this Sourdough Focaccia, Garlic Cheese Bread, and Rustic Bread on the side.
Salads: Pair this pasta salad with a Chopped Caprese Salad, Salmon Potato Salad, or Chopped Italian Salad.
Appetizers: Enjoy this dish on a spread with other small bites, like Smoked Salmon Appetizer Cups, Caprese Skewers, and Crab Artichoke Dip.

Make This Recipe in Advance

Make ahead: You can make the dressing and pre-chop the vegetables ahead of time, storing in the fridge, until you’re ready to assemble the salad. You can also make the pasta beforehand, storing it in a ziplock back in the fridge.

Storing: Store this Shrimp Pasta Salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

Freeze: It’s not recommended to freeze this salad because the creamy dressing can separate and turn grainy when thawed. The vegetables will also get mushy.

More Tasty Pasta Salads!

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Dina

Hi, I’m Dina, so glad you stopped by! I believe life is too short for bad coffee and boring meals. With my easy to follow step-by-step recipes, you’ll be surprised at how quickly a wholesome and delicious meal can come together. I hope you find something you enjoy!