Shrimp Pasta Salad is the perfect dish to take to a potluck or party! It comes together within just minutes and it’s incredibly delicious! The fresh lemon juice adds a little zip to the dressing while the dill adds summery freshness complementing the small cooked shrimp perfectly! 
Shrimp Pasta Salad is one of those recipes that tastes amazing yet it is so easy to prepare, your guests literally won’t be able to resist this recipe! Pasta salad makes a great side or even a main dish, regardless of the recipe, but this recipe takes pasta salad to a whole new level of yum!
If you’re serving this meal at a potluck you’ll want to be sure it stays chilled… mayonnaise and shrimp sitting on the table in the hot sun isn’t a good idea! I always take a larger bowl and put some ice in it. I then set my bowl of pasta salad on the bowl of ice which keeps everything chilled to the right temperature.
This recipe uses small shrimp (I prefer to buy pre-cooked frozen shrimp) but you can use canned shrimp or even chop some larger shrimp if it happens to be what you have on hand. I use a small pasta for this recipe (such as macaroni or shells) but really any kind of pasta will work, just use what you have!
While this dish makes a great side, it’s also a great one dish meal for on a hot summer lunch when you don’t feel like turning on the oven and heating up your kitchen! This can be made up to 24 hours ahead of time (although I usually add the shrimp just before serving).
Items You Will Need For This Recipe
Elbow Macaroni * Mayonnaise * Minced Onions
Shrimp Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- ½ pound macaroni noodles uncooked
- 1 tablespoon minced onion
- ⅔ cup chopped celery
- ½ cup diced red pepper
- 1 ⅓ cup small cooked shrimp
Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons sweet relish
- 3 tablespoons fresh dill
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
Instructions
- Cook macaroni noodles al dente according to package directions. Rinse under cold water and drain.
- Combine all dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
- Place all ingredients in a large bowl and toss with dressing. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving to allow flavors to blend
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Party Food
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I tried this recipe recently and it’s terrific. I used shell pasta instead of macaroni, and I used diced green onion instead of a regular onion because I thought the flavor and aroma of a regular onion would overpower the shrimp. I’m glad I made that substitution. Otherwise, I followed the recipe as written. This recipe will go into my “favorites” recipe book. It’s a keeper!
Very good. The only change i will make in future is less macaroni and more shrimp. Its more macaroni salad with some shrimp as it is.