This shrimp pasta salad combines the zesty, fresh flavors of lemon, dill, and shrimp for a delicious summer meal. This recipe features a light, tangy dill sauce with chunky fresh veggies tossed in with big shrimp bites and pasta. You will love this light meal that is packed with tons of flavor! It pairs perfectly with burgers, bbq chicken, just about anything you throw on the grill.Taste the refreshing and delicious shrimp pasta with all the flavor at your next barbeque get-together. This shrimp pasta salad is quick and easy to make. Make a homemade creamy dressing, cook the pasta, and add the protein and vegetables for an all-around delicious salad. Watch this salad disappear at your next gathering!
Shrimp Pasta Salad Ingredients
These simple ingredients are enough to make the dressing recipe, pasta, and chop and slicing the vegetables. It is a simple recipe that can be tossed together quickly and easily. This shrimp pasta salad is a creamy, zesty, and flavorful side dish everyone loves! Here’s what you need:
Lemon – Zest the whole lemon and juice it for the dressing recipe. This gives that lemon zest, tangy, and sweet balance with all the ingredients. Mayonnaise – A soft and creamy mayo base that has flavor but also creaminess for dressing. Sour cream – Thickness for the dressing. This is the base that forms the dressing and gives it the thickness it needs to pour over the salad. Fresh dill – Dill is citrus-like and has an earthy, grassy taste too. A bite of dill is not the best but when adding it to the dressing you have a refreshing and delicious herb. Bowtie farfalle pasta – Cook the pasta according to the package directions. You can also use elbow macaroni or rotini, or penne if that is what you have on hand. The pasta shape will absorb and hold in the dressing with these types of pasta. Shrimp – Look for a medium size shrimp and some that have been deveined, shelled, and already cooked. You can even use imitation crab meat if needed or shredded chicken also tastes good. Cucumber – Peel and sliced into thin round slices. Carrots – Slice the carrots into small and thin round shapes. Small enough to manage using a fork. Red bell pepper – Thick chunks cubed for extra flavor and crunch. Green onions – Thinly slice the green onions to garnish the pasta salad. Salt and black pepper – to taste
How to Make Shrimp Pasta Salad
Plan your next cookout with this shrimp macaroni salad recipe. Grab a large bowl and mix the dressing, pasta, and vegetables until it is all well combined. This pasta salad is always a favorite at picnics, potlucks, or a side dish for your home dinners!
Using Fresh Dill
Fresh dill brings this shrimp pasta salad to life! If you have never used fresh herbs, it is effortless to work with and enhances any dish. Here are a few tips and ideas on how to pick, take care of, and handle fresh dill stalks.
Store – Find it at your local market in the produce section or grow your own. Farmers market – In the market, it comes in long stems with feathery leaves of the dill weed coming off the stem. Cut – I have found the easiest way to cut small amounts for recipes like this is to use kitchen shears or a pair of clean scissors. Clip the feathery leaves into approximately ⅛ inch pieces until you have the needed amount. Don’t use the thick stems, just the feathery leaves. Refrigerate – If you can, allow the salad to fridge overnight; the flavor and fragrance of the dill grow stronger as it sits and enhances whatever dish you’re using it in.
Add-ins and Substitutions
My favorite thing about most pasta salad recipes is how versatile they are. You can add chopped just about anything to the salad for extra textures and flavors:
Add in a couple teaspoons Dijon mustard for a bolder sauce flavor. You could also add a dash of garlic powder and a drizzle of olive oil if the salad seems too dry.
Diced celery – about two stalks celery would be the perfect amount for this recipe Sliced avocado Olives Spinach leaves Fresh basil Corn – fresh corn on the cob is a delightful addition Feta cheese Green peas
Shrimp Pasta Salad Storage
This shrimp pasta salad recipe tastes delicious cold, straight out of the refrigerator. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three to four days. It won’t freeze very well, but works great in the fridge. If you’re taking it to a picnic or potluck, make sure to store in a cooler with plenty of ice to maintain the salad’s freshness. Always err on the side of caution when serving a dish with shrimp and mayonnaise; you don’t want it to come to room temperature for very long. It’s fresher and safer to eat when it’s cold. READ MORE: 50+ Picnic Food Ideas
More Favorite Shrimp Recipes
Shrimp is one of those proteins that I tend to forget about sometimes, but shrimp is easy to work with and tastes delicious in just about anything! Try our Top 10 Shrimp Recipes or some of these favorites:
What to Serve with this Salad
Shrimp Pasta Salad can be served all on its own as a main course or as a side dish to any grilled meat. Try some of these recipes alongside your salad!
Shrimp Spring Rolls
Spicy Shrimp Tacos
Shrimp Alfredo Pasta
Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta
How to Make Shrimp Pasta Salad
Oven Roasted Asparagus
Pesto Potatoes
Steak Kabobs
Layered Cold Pasta Salad
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