You have to try making pasta salad with shrimp! This recipe is similar to the familiar tuna pasta salad, but with tiny shrimp and sweet bell peppers added in to make it delightfully different. Shrimp Macaroni Salad is a summer staple around here, and I probably make at least one type of pasta salad every week in the warmer months to serve with grilled dinners or take to friends’ houses. I think you’ll be glad to have this tasty summer salad recipe in your recipe box too! Be sure to check out my other easy pasta salads, like Hawaiian Macaroni Salad, Dill Pickle Pasta Salad, Tortellini Salad, and Caesar Pasta Salad.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Ingredients In Shrimp Pasta Salad
Here’s what you need to make this simple and delicious macaroni salad with shrimp: Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Salad Shrimp: Small shrimp, usually called “salad shrimp” are the perfect size for this pasta salad. They are bite-sized and just a bit larger than elbow macaroni noodles. I like to buy the pre-cooked frozen variety, but canned salad shrimp can also be used. Elbow Macaroni: What’s a macaroni salad without some elbow noodles, right? You can use any type of short pasta to make this salad, but I think elbows are classic. Veggies: Diced red onion, celery, and bell pepper add crunch, color, and flavor to the salad. I used some red and some yellow bell pepper, and you can use any color that you like. Mayo and Sour Cream: The base of this shrimp pasta salad dressing is mayonnaise, mixed half and half with sour cream. You can use plain greek yogurt in place of the sour cream if you like, just be sure that both creamy mixers are full-fat. The low-fat varieties of mayo and sour cream won’t give you the same flavor and creaminess. Dijon Mustard: A single tablespoon of Dijon goes a long way to making this dressing perfect. Lemon Juice: This thins the creamy dressing out just enough, and brightens up all of the flavors. Dill: Fresh dill is so good with all types of fish and seafood. I use it in many of my pasta salads. Fresh dill should be easy to find at the grocery store. Dried dill can be used, but you’ll want to reduce the amount to 2 teaspoons rather than 2 tablespoons. Salt and Pepper: To be sure that our Shrimp Pasta Salad is ready to eat.
How To Make Shrimp Pasta Salad
Recipe Tips
Thaw Shrimp First – If you add the salad shrimp still frozen, they’re likely to be frozen when you’re ready to eat. Rinse them under cool water until they are thawed.
Storing Tips
Shrimp Pasta Salad will last in the fridge for about 3 days. Store any leftovers in an airtight container. Pasta Salad is not a dish that I would recommend freezing. It won’t be the same after that – likely mushy with a separated dressing that is oily. Shrimp Pasta Salad is the perfect summer get-together side dish! Save this recipe for the next time you need to whip up a side dish quickly.Pin it for more people to enjoy too! © Little Sunny Kitchen
