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!

We’re happy to add this pasta salad with shrimp to our repertoire of pasta dishes! (For more pasta salad inspiration, check out this Chipotle Chicken Pasta Salad or Salmon Salad with Spelt Pasta).

Here is Why This 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.

• The easy vinaigrette dressing adds a tangy and zesty finish that combines all the flavors.
  
• This cold shrimp salad is light and refreshing, making it ideal for a picnic or any outdoor gathering during the hot summer months—no mayo to sit in the hot sun.
  
• This recipe is incredibly easy to make. Its versatility also allows for plenty of room for personalization, allowing you to tailor the dish to your specific taste preferences.
  
• This is a great meal prep recipe. Toss it together a day in advance and let store it in the fridge while all the flavors marry together. It’s better the next day!

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.

How to Make Shrimp Pasta with Vinaigrette:

The wonderful thing about pasta salad is that you can make it in advance and let it sit in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving. Note that the shrimp and pasta will need to be prepared ahead of time since they both require chill time- don’t use freshly-cooked, hot pasta or the veggies and parsley will wilt.

1. Toss the ingredients: In a large salad bowl, add the chopped vegetables, chilled pasta, and shrimp. Toss to combine.
2. Make the vinaigrette: Pour the olive oil and balsamic vinegar into a small jelly jar. Add the garlic, salt and pepper. Shake to combine.
3. Drizzle the dressing: Pour the dressing over the top of the pasta salad and toss to evenly coat all the ingredients in the vinaigrette. Serve in six chilled salad plates.

That’s it! This shrimp pasta salad recipe is easy-peasy and so delish!

Tip: this is a classic and versatile vinaigrette recipe. If you want to change it up, here are a few ideas: Add lemon or lime juice, a teaspoon or two of Dijon mustard, herbs like basil, thyme, or dill, and honey or sugar to balance the acidity. Remember to add new ingredients a bit at a time and taste as you go, so you can adjust the flavors to your liking.

Salad Substitutions and Variations

• Switch up the dressing and use a creamy dressing like Ranch or Caesar dressing.
• Add some heat by including diced jalapenos or crushed red pepper flakes and a pinch of sugar to balance the heat.
• Play with different herbs, such as basil, cilantro, dill, or mint, for an added burst of flavor. Just chop them up and toss them in with the parsley. 
• Add some crumbled feta cheese, sundried tomatoes, and artichoke hearts for a Mediterranean twist.
• Use a different type of pasta. Some suggestions that work great are macaroni, farfalle, and penne. You can even use spaghetti noodles if that’s all you have on hand.
• 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.
  

Storage

Store this cold shrimp pasta salad in an airtight container for 2-3 days in the fridge. The veggies will slightly lose some of their crisp-ness, but the salad will still be delish!

Do not freeze this shrimp pasta salad. Freezing will cause the veggies to get mushy when the salad thaws.

What to Serve with Shrimp Pasta Salad:

Our tri-colored pasta salad with shrimp makes a yummy and satisfying main course, but it also works great as a side. Looking for some recipe ideas to pair with this pasta salad? Look no further!

A few of our favorites are:

• Seafood Stew: Keep the seafood theme going with this delicious seafood stew, similar to cioppino!
• No-Knead Focaccia Bread: Loaded with olive oil, flakey sea salt and herbs, this fluffy Italian bread is always a stellar choice.
• Santa Maria Tri-Tip: Put a twist on the classic surf-and-turf and pair this shrimp pasta salad with our grilled Santa Maria Tri-Tip for an elevated, backyard barbecue kind of meal.
• Beef ribs or BBQ pork ribs.

Frequently Asked Questions

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!

Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love:

Chicken Tortellini Alfredo: Cheese tortellini pasta and tender chicken are smothered in a creamy Alfredo sauce. This decadent, comforting dinner may become part of your regular rotation for quick dinners.

Spanish Chorizo and Shrimp Pasta: Thick fettuccini, spicy sausage, plump shrimp and salty olives in a smoky-flavored sauce. You will love this super-simple, delicious dinner. Don’t forget the crusty bread to mop up the sauce with!

Panzanella: Italy makes great use of their day-old bread and juicy, ripe tomatoes with a bread and tomato salad, spicy fresh basil and a simple vinaigrette dressing. This is a classic Italian summertime salad!