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    Home » Salads

    Best Creamy Shrimp Pasta Salad [Video]

    Published: May 7, 2019 · Modified: Jun 4, 2020 by Shadi HasanzadeNemati · This post may contain affiliate links .

    468 shares
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This easy shrimp pasta salad is packed with so much flavor. It's ready in 30 minutes and is perfect for parties, gatherings and potlucks.

    This easy shrimp pasta salad is packed with so much flavor. Learn how to make the best shrimp macaroni salad that will rock your parties and potlucks.

    If you're into shrimp recipes, you need to try today's shrimp macaroni salad recipe. And make sure to try our baked shrimp chermoula sauce, shrimp avocado salad and shrimp cakes with avocado dipping sauce. They're all perfect for any day of the week and are packed with amazing flavors. 

    Table Of Contents:
    • About this recipe
    • Shrimp macaroni salad ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Serving suggestions
    • Variations
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Notes and tips
    • More salad recipes
    • Step-by-Step Recipe

    About this recipe

    Pasta salads including Tortellini Pasta Salad and caprese pasta salad, are perfect side dishes as well as a full meal when you don’t want to use the stove or oven to make a meal on a warm day. They're simple, easy and you can always easily customize them to your liking by adding ingredients that you love.

    I love this creamy pasta salad recipe as a side dish to bring to gatherings and potlucks because it keeps well and is a good alternative to the usual macaroni salad that everyone has tried. 

    What I love the most about this recipe is that it’s so simple and quick to make (only 30 minutes!) and everyone loves it! The dill gives such a nice flavor to it and the lemon add just the right amount of tanginess.

    Shrimp macaroni salad ingredients

    shrimp macaroni salad ingredients are cooked shrimp, pasta, parsley, dill, dill pickles, green onion, and lemon.
    • Shrimp: You want the shrimp to be raw, cleaned and deveined. Make sure to check out my tutorial on how to clean shrimp. It's best to use frozen shrimp unless you live in a coastal city where you have access to freshly caught shrimp.
    • Pasta: I suggest using macaroni or shells for this recipe since the size is close to the shrimp.
    • Herbs: You need parsley, dill and green onions or scallions. If fresh dill isn't available, use dried dill.
    • Mayonnaise and sour cream: I used a combination of these two to have a lighter pasta salad. The combination of mayonnaise and sour cream will keep the flavor of the pasta salad fresh and prevent the mayonnaise from overpowering the flavor of the shrimp and other ingredients.

    Instructions

    • Cook the pasta according to the packaging and let it cool completely.
    • Season the shrimp lightly with salt and pepper and sear in a pan over medium heat for about five to seven minutes until they’re pink and curled.
    • Once the shrimp and pasta are cool, mix them in a bowl with parsley, dill, green onions and dill pickles.
    • Add in sour cream and mayonnaise and season with salt and pepper. Mix well and cover with a plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. 
    shrimp pasta salad recipe - mix shrimp, parsley, green onion, mayonnaise, dill pickles and spices in a large bowl.

    Serving suggestions

    Variations

    You can add different ingredients to this pasta salad according to your preference and liking:

    • Vegetables such as celery, red onion or bell peppers would go very well with this shrimp salad.
    • A drizzle of lemon or lime juice will give this salad the right kick and will make it absolutely tasty. And if you want the salad to have a kick, add some old bay seasoning.
    • Looking for a lighter option? Use low fat mayonnaise and sour cream. The flavor will be just as good.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can I make this ahead of time?

    You can absolutely make this creamy pasta salad a day before you're planning to serve it. Mix all the ingredients together and store in an airtight container and refrigerate. 

    Can I use pre-cooked shrimp?

    My preference is to cook the shrimp at home so I can add seasonings. However, if you're in a pinch, pre-cooked shrimp would work.

    What can I serve with shrimp pasta salad?

    Serve this shrimp salad as a light meal on its own or as part of a barbecue with some Greek grilled chicken, salmon kabobs or even some burgers!

    Can I freeze pasta salad?

    This shrimp pasta salad cannot be frozen as the texture and the flavor will change and it won’t taste good at all. Shrimp pasta salad is best served the same day.

    Serve cold shrimp pasta salad after chilling in the fridge for one hour.

    Notes and tips

    • You can use any type of macaroni or pasta to make cold shrimp pasta salad. I used elbow pasta because they look very good with the shrimp.
    • This shrimp pasta salad with mayo is best served completely cold as shrimp and mayonnaise don’t do well with heat. If you’re planning to serve it outside such as picnic or barbecue, bring it to the table right before serving.
    • If you don’t care for sour cream, you can just use mayonnaise. Taste the pasta salad in the end and add more lemon or salt if needed.

    More salad recipes

    • Burrata with Tomatoes and Peach
    • Turkish Smoky Eggplant Salad Recipe
    • Beet Salad Recipe With Feta And Zaatar
    • Ensalada Rusa (Russian Salad - Olivier Salad)

    Did you make this recipe? I'd love to hear about it! Please comment and leave a 5-star🌟 rating below. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest or subscribe to our newsletter to get a free e-Cookbook!

    Step-by-Step Recipe

    Creamy Shrimp Pasta Salad

    Shadi HasanzadeNemati
    This easy shrimp pasta salad is packed with so much flavor. Learn how to make the best shrimp macaroni salad that will rock your parties and potlucks.
    4.75 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Chilling time 1 hr
    Total Time 30 mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 368 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 3 cup macaroni or small pasta uncooked
    • 1 lb raw shrimp peeled and deveined
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • ½ cup scallions chopped
    • ⅓ cup parsley chopped
    • ⅓ cup fresh dill chopped
    • ½ cup dill pickles diced
    • ½ cup mayonnaise more if needed
    • ½ cup sour cream
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ tsp black pepper

    Instructions
     

    • Cook macaroni according to the packaging and set aside to cool completely. 
    • Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. 
    • Cook shrimp in the pan until pink and fully cooked. Set aside. 
    • Once the pasta and shrimp are both cold, place them in a large bowl. Add in scallions, parsley, dill and dill pickles to the bowl. Mix well until all the ingredients are combined. 
    • Add in mayonnaise and sour cream to the bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
    • Stir and mix well until all are combined and then cover the bowl with a plastic wrap. 
    • Chill in the fridge for at least one hour.
    • Serve cold.

    Video

    Notes

    1. If you don't have fresh dill, use 1 tablespoon dried dill. 
    2. It's best to cook the shrimp at home for this recipe so you can add all the seasoning you need. However, pre-cooked shrimp would work if you're in a pinch. 
    3. You can make this shrimp past salad up to one day in advance. 
    4. Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days. 
    5. For other variations of this salad use red onion, bell peppers or celery. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 368kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 17gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 13gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 170mgSodium: 1297mgPotassium: 285mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 1284IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 128mgIron: 1mg
    Did you make this recipe? Let us know how it was by leaving a comment and a 5-star review!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Fran

      June 02, 2019 at 5:11 pm

      4 stars
      How long will this last in the refrigerator. ..is the shrimp good the next day?
      I can't wait to try this.

      Reply
      • Shadi HasanzadeNemati

        June 03, 2019 at 4:42 am

        Hi Fran! You can keep this pasta salad in the fridge for up to 24 hours, hope you enjoy it!

        Reply
    2. Elaine @ Dishes Delish

      July 30, 2018 at 9:12 am

      5 stars
      I've actually had something similar to your shrimp pasta salad fairly recently but my sister in law is not known to share her recipes, which is so foreign to me! But now I have the recipe from you and I bet it's even more delicious than hers!! Yay!

      Reply
      • Shadi HasanzadeNemati

        July 30, 2018 at 9:59 am

        Yay! Hope you love this dreamy creamy shrimp salad!

        Reply
    3. Patty @ Spoonabilities

      July 30, 2018 at 8:31 am

      5 stars
      How YUMMY! I love pasta salads -- such a great summertime dinner. I will try this for sure!

      Reply
      • Shadi HasanzadeNemati

        July 30, 2018 at 9:14 am

        Thank you Patty! This shrimp pasta salad is so good for summer!

        Reply
    4. Anvita

      July 30, 2018 at 8:17 am

      Nothing beats pasta salad in summer. Perfect party food or a quick lunch option too. I would love to make this vegan.

      Reply
      • Shadi HasanzadeNemati

        July 30, 2018 at 9:09 am

        Hope you enjoy this pasta salad Anvita 🙂

        Reply
    5. rebecca

      July 30, 2018 at 7:53 am

      5 stars
      I've never made a pasta salad with shrimp. this looks great

      Reply
      • Shadi HasanzadeNemati

        July 30, 2018 at 8:54 am

        Thank you Rebecca, this shrimp pasta salad is a favorite!

        Reply

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    468 shares