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a large white bowl filled with shrimp macaroni salad with diced bell peppers
5 from 3 votes

Shrimp Pasta Salad

Shrimp Pasta Salad is ready in under a half hour, and is the perfect creamy seafood macaroni salad for a summer party or barbecue dinner.
Author Diana
Servings 6 servings (can serve up to 8 as a side)
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 cups/12 oz. (340 g) elbow macaroni pasta or any small shape pasta
  • 1 pound (450 g) frozen pre-cooked salad shrimp thawed and drained, see note 1
  • 1 cup diced celery
  • 1 bell pepper diced
  • ½ small red onion finely diced

For the Dressing:

  • cup mayonnaise full-fat
  • cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Cook macaroni in salted water according to the package instructions. Most small pastas will be ready in 10-12 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.
  • As the pasta is being cooked, make the dressing: In a bowl, combine mayo with sour cream, dijon mustard, lemon juice, dill, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine.
  • In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta with small salad shirmp, celery, bell pepper, and red onion Dress the salad and give everything a stir until well combined. Garnish with additional fresh dill if desired.
  • Cover and chill until you’re ready to serve.

Notes

  1. Use 150-200 count per pound shrimp for this recipe. You can also use canned salad shrimp that you've drained and rinsed. If you want to use larger shrimp, cut them into bite-sized pieces first. 
  2. I like the spicy bite of red onion in this recipe. You can use sweet onion or green onion instead if you prefer. You can also remove some of the bite of diced red onions by soaking them in ice water for 20 minutes before adding them to the salad. 
  3. Other fresh veggies like carrots can be chopped up and added to shrimp pasta salad. Chopped hard-boiled eggs, sliced green olives, and shredded cheese are also sometimes added to this recipe.
  4. Be sure to use full-fat mayo and sour cream or yogurt to make the dressing. I'd also avoid Miracle Whip or other similar salad dressings.
  5. Fresh dill is best, but if you can't find it, you can use 2 teaspoons (not tablespoons!) of dried dill weed instead.  
  6. To Store: Keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Be sure not to allow this salad to sit out at room temperature or on a hot day for very long. It's best to keep it refrigerated at all times. 
  7. To Make Ahead: Assemble the salad up to 2 days ahead of time, but only dress it with half of the creamy dressing. Save the other half in a separate container. Just before serving, stir in the rest of the dressing so that it will taste like you just made it!

Nutrition

Calories: 585kcal | Carbohydrates: 90g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 812mg | Potassium: 210mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 933IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 2mg