Shrimp Pasta Salad

5 from 3 votes

This shrimp pasta salad recipe has a creamy and zesty lemon dill dressing and is loaded with plump shrimp. It's the perfect summer dish for seafood lovers!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cold shrimp pasta salad, creamy shrimp pasta salad recipe, shrimp pasta salad

Servings:

Author: Natasha Bull

Ingredients

3 cups uncooked fusilli pasta
1 pound shrimp (31-40/pound size) thawed & peeled
2 sticks celery chopped small
2 tablespoons red onion chopped small
Smoked paprika optional, to taste

Dressing:

1/2 cup mayo
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice + zest of 1 lemon
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon fresh dill chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Boil a salted pot of water for the pasta. Cook it al dente according to package directions, then once it's done, drain it and rinse with cool water. Let it drain thoroughly before adding it to a large salad bowl.
Meanwhile, prep the shrimp (run under cool water to thaw if they're frozen, peel them, remove the tails, and devein if needed). Boil a pot of water to cook them, and fill a medium-sized bowl with cold water and ice cubes. Once the water is boiling, add the shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes. Drain the shrimp and add them to the ice bath to stop them from cooking further. Let them cool in there for a few minutes prior to draining them and patting them dry with paper towel. If desired, cut them into smaller pieces before adding them to the salad bowl.
Prep the remaining ingredients (celery and onion), then add them to the salad bowl.
Add the dressing ingredients to a small bowl and combine until smooth.
Add the dressing to the pasta salad and then toss to combine. Season with salt & pepper as needed. Shrimp can be quite salty, but it's quite a lot of pasta in here, so it's important to season it well for good flavor.
If desired, sprinkle a bit of smoked paprika over top.
I recommend chilling this salad before serving (cover the bowl tightly). It's best very cold.

Notes

Serves 4 as an entree and more as a side (6-8).
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition