Chilled Shrimp Pasta Salad

Our shrimp pasta salad is a great choice for your next picnic. It’s simple to make with a few fresh ingredients and an easy vinaigrette dressing. The plump shrimp, tender pasta, crisp vegetables, and tangy dressing all combine to create a medley of flavors.

This pasta salad with shrimp makes the perfect light lunch, summery brunch dish, or easy dinner!

For more pasta salad inspiration, check out this Salmon Pasta Salad.

Here is Why This Shrimp Pasta Salad Recipe Works

Shrimp adds an elegant touch and the dish is even more elevated with the tangy vinaigrette and chopped curly parsley. Fresh and simple flavors work together here. And best of all, this shrimp pasta salad is so easy to make.

Tangy Finish: The easy vinaigrette dressing ties everything together with a zesty, flavorful kick.

Perfect for Summer: This cold shrimp salad is light and refreshing. It’s ideal for picnics or outdoor gatherings since there’s no mayo to worry about in the heat.

Quick and Customizable: The recipe comes together effortlessly and leaves plenty of room for you to adapt it to your own taste.

Great for Meal Prep: Toss it together a day ahead and let it chill in the fridge. It’s even better the next day as the flavors meld.

If you are looking for more shrimp recipes, check out our creamy coconut shrimp, our firecracker shrimp, or our creamy garlic butter shrimp pasta.

Ingredients for Shrimp Pasta Salad:

With kalamata olives, garlic, parsley and olive oil, this is essentially an Italian pasta salad with shrimp!

Fresh bell pepper, red onion, chopped scallions and cucumber add a nice crisp texture that pairs well with the tender pasta and meaty shrimp. It gives it a lighter, fresh, more salad-like feel. Plus, those firm veggies keep well, so you don’t have to worry about any soggy leftovers.

Here are the ingredients you will need:

• Pasta. We used tri-colored spiral pasta to give the salad a burst of color. You can use just about any pasta you have on hand.
• Veggies. Green bell pepper, red bell pepper, green onions, English cucumber, and red onion.
• Kalamata olives. The olives add a burst of briny flavor and a nice depth.
• Fresh parsley. The parsley adds a bright flavor and balances the flavors in the salad.
• Shrimp. We like using large to medium shrimp, but you can also use small bay shrimp as well.
• Vinaigrette. The simple dressing includes olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, garlic cloves, salt, and pepper.

Tip: For a shortcut, you can purchase a bottle of Italian vinaigrette or Catalina dressing.

Salad Substitutions and Variations

• Switch up the dressing and use a creamy dressing like Ranch or Caesar dressing.
• Play with different herbs, such as basil, cilantro, dill, or mint, for an added burst of flavor.
• Here are some additional ingredients you can add to the dish to change up the flavor: peas, feta cheese, avocado, cherry tomatoes, marinated artichoke hearts, and Bay seasoning.

Tips and FAQs:

Here are some tips for the best pasta salad with shrimp.

• We love using tri-colored spiral pasta but really, any shape or color of pasta can be substituted! It won’t affect the taste at all.
  
• For best results, cook the pasta to a tender al dente.
  
• The pasta will absorb some of the vinaigrette when you store it. You can add extra dressing when you are ready to serve the salad.

This salad travels well and makes a great addition to potlucks and picnics. Fresh flavors, satisfying textures and a simple vinaigrette to top it all off, there’s so much to love about this shrimp pasta salad! It’s versatile, delicious, and filling. Enjoy!