This Shrimp Pasta Salad has great flavor and texture. I like to make it as a quick summer dinner, or as a side for family BBQs. It’s easy to make and served cold, so you can prepare it ahead so the flavors are even better.
The salty and sweet flavors in the creamy dressing coat the shrimp beautifully and add the perfect amount of zing to the pasta and veggies. It’s easy to customize the seasonings to suit the final shrimp and salad pasta to your preference.
If you like pasta salad recipes, you will love Classic Pasta Salad, Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad and Greek Pasta Salad.
Why You’ll Love This Shrimp Pasta Salad Recipe
- Ready in 30 minutes: It only takes 30 minutes to cook the shrimp and prepare the pasta salad.
- Easy to double: You may double or even triple the ingredients in this recipe to serve it to a crowd.
- Crowd favorite: Everyone loves the simple and delicious flavors of this shrimp salad with pasta.
Ingredients
Below is everything you need to make the salad and the dressing. I find that these simple items are easy to find any time of year, making it super easy to enjoy anytime you like.
- Pasta: You may use any variety of pasta for this cold shrimp pasta salad. I like rotini or penne the best but elbow macaroni or even cavatappi are great for this recipe.
- Shrimp: I like extra large shrimp for this recipe so you get plenty of flavor in every bite. If your shrimp are not peeled and deveined, be sure to do that before you cook them. Remove the tails before or after they’re cooked.
- Asparagus: I trim the asparagus into bite-sized pieces and remove the hard stems before cooking them. Ensure that they are cooked until just tender so they don’t become mushy.
- Feta cheese: The crumbly texture of the feta pairs well with the other ingredients in dressing for the pasta salad. It adds the perfect amount of salty flavor. Goat cheese is a great substitute for similar texture and flavor.
- Mayonnaise: The mayo will be the base of the dressing in the shrimp salad with pasta. It adds rich flavor and creamy texture to the dish.
- Seasoning: I use just salt and pepper to season the pasta shrimp salad to keep it simple and to allow the flavors of the other ingredients to shine.
- Roasted red peppers: The sweetness from the red peppers balances the flavors of the garlic and feta. You may also use fresh bell peppers if you like. They will be blended into the dressing.
- Garlic: The minced garlic enhances the other ingredients while adding a sharp flavor to the pasta salad.
- Cherry tomatoes: You may use cherry or grape tomatoes in this recipe. They add color and freshness.
- Corn: I use canned corn but you may use fresh corn if you want instead. It’s perfect for the summertime when it’s in season.
- Red onion: The onion adds a hint of sweetness and strong onion flavor. I like the crunchy texture added to the creamy dressing of the salad.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Asian-style shrimp pasta salad: Make an Asian-inspired pasta salad with shrimp using rice noodles and add soy sauce, rice vinegar, and garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.
- Avocado lime shrimp pasta salad: Add chopped avocado, and lime juice, and garnish the finished salad with chopped cilantro for a refreshing take.
- Shrimp and crab pasta salad: Use crab meat with the shrimp to turn this into a loaded seafood pasta salad recipe.
- Spicy: Add a bit of chili pepper flakes, diced jalapeno pepper, or jalapeno powder to add a bit of heat.
How to Make Shrimp Pasta Salad
Here are the instructions to make your shrimp macaroni salad! It’s very easy and quick to do, so you don’t have to wait long before you get to eat.
Step 1: Cook the pasta, shrimp & asparagus. Boil water and cook your pasta until it’s al dente. This should take around 7 minutes. Add the shrimp and chopped asparagus and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Reserve about ½ cup of the pasta water before draining.
Step 2: Drain the pasta. Drain the pasta, shrimp, and pasta and run very cold water over the ingredients in a colander to cool them down. Drain the water and transfer the pasta, shrimp, and asparagus to a clean bowl with paper towels.
Step 3: Make the dressing. Combine the feta, mayo, red peppers, garlic, salt, and pepper in a separate mixing bowl. Mix using a hand mixer until smooth.
Step 4: Toss the salad. Add the prepared dressing to the shrimp mixture and toss until coated. Stir in the corn, tomatoes, and onions until combined.
⭐️ Hint: You may serve this shrimp pasta salad immediately or let it chill in the refrigerator. It is delicious either way. Do not leave it at room temperature unless you are going to eat it right away.
If you love recipes like this pasta salad you may also enjoy Bistro Shrimp, Pasta, Philly Cheesesteak Pasta Recipe, Mediterranean Rice Salad recipes!
Storage Directions
- Refrigeration: Store leftovers of this salad in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
- Make Ahead: Prepare the shrimp salad and store it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before you are ready to serve it. You may even do some prep work like cutting the veggies ahead of time, too!
Serving Suggestions
If you are looking for protein to pair, try it with Air Fryer Round Steak or Sous Vide Whole Chicken.
This shrimp salad recipe with pasta pairs perfectly with any veggie side dish. I highly recommend Red Cabbage Steaks, Sweet Green Beans, and Skillet Broccoli.
If you are making this for a cookout, the flavors of this Greek Lentil Salad match great with the shrimp.
Expert Tips
- Reserve some pasta water: Don’t skip this step! I find that the dressing is a little thick so I like to add a little bit of the water to get it to the consistency that I like without changing the flavor.
- Try a blender: If you want an extra smooth and creamy dressing, add the ingredients to a blender and pulse until you reach the texture you want.
- Don’t overcook the pasta: Do not overcook the pasta or it will become mushy when mixed with the other ingredients.
Recipe FAQs
Sure! Try crab meat if you want to keep with the seafood theme or shredded cooked chicken.
Absolutely! You may keep it separate and drizzle the amount you like on top!
Yes, just be sure they are thawed properly if you purchase them frozen.
I do not recommend it. The salad becomes very watery and mushy when thawed. It tastes much better when freshly made!
More Delicious Shrimp Dishes
Do you love shrimp? Here are some more shrimp recipes you may also like to try.
Video
Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.
Easy Shrimp Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound pasta your favorite variety
- 1-2 pounds extra-large 21-25 shrimp peeled, deveined, and tails discarded
- 2 cups asparagus trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (about ¾ pound)
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese or goat cheese
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup roasted red peppers drained, chopped or ½ cup of peppers, any color, chopped
- 1-2 tablespoons garlic minced
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half
- 1 can corn drained
- 1 cup red onion chopped or diced
Instructions
- In a large pot cook pasta according to package directions until it is al dente, around 7 minutes.
- Then, before draining the water add shrimp and asparagus and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Using a measuring cup scoop out about ⅓ of a cup of the pasta water and set aside for later.
- Cook the shrimp until pink or in a perfect C shape. If they're straight, they're likely undercooked. If an O shape, they're overcooked.
- Drain pasta mixture in the sink in a colander with cold water running over top of it to cool the pasta and shrimp down. I usually place a bowl under the colander, after all of the boiling water has gone down the drain and let it fill with cold water. Allow the colander contents to sit in the cold water until cold.
- Once pasta mixture is cool, drain again in the sink.
- Next I wipe out the bowl I just had the cold water in and put a few slices of paper towel on the bottom. I dump the contents of the colander inside the bowl, on top of the paper towel. I then use some more paper towel to pat dry the top of the pasta mixture. The goal here is to remove as much water as possible from the pasta before combining it with the dressing. I have also used a clean dish rowel to accomplish this as well.
Dressing
- In a medium bowl, using a handheld mixer, combine feta or goat cheese, mayonnaise, roasted peppers or peppers, garlic, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¾ teaspoon pepper and blend until smooth. Add some reserved pasta water to thin the dressing to your desired level. I usually don’t add more than ¼ cup.
Making the Salad
- Pour dried pasta mixture into a large bowl. Add corn, tomatoes, onions and stir gently until blended.
- Last, add your dressing and stir gently until coated. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- Reserve some pasta water: Don’t skip this step! I find that the dressing is a little thick so I like to add a little bit of the water to get it to the consistency that I like without changing the flavor.
- Try a blender: If you want an extra smooth and creamy dressing, add the ingredients to a blender and pulse until you reach the texture you want.
- Don’t overcook the pasta: Do not overcook the pasta or it will become mushy when mixed with the other ingredients.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in March 2018. It has been updated with new images and content.
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