Shrimp Pasta Salad combines pasta and shrimp with a simple summery dressing for an easy favorite anytime kind of meal.

Serve this dish as a side or a main dish.

two small stacked bowls with Shrimp Pasta Salad

A Simple Meal or Side Dish

Shrimp Pasta Salad is one of those recipes that tastes amazing yet is so easy to prepare. Of course, pasta salad makes a great side dish, but this version is perfect as a summer meal or any time lunch!

It can be prepared up to 24 hours ahead of time and will keep a few days in the fridge.

Spooning out Shrimp Pasta Salad

Ingredients for Shrimp Pasta Salad

  • Shrimp: I use small shrimp, so you get more shrimp in every bite. Pre-cooked frozen shrimp or even canned shrimp make it easy! If your shrimp are large, you can chop them if you’d like.
  • Pasta: Elbows, small shells, or other small pasta are great choices for this recipe. Use what you have on hand.
  • Add-Ins: Celery, bell pepper, and onion add crunch, texture, and freshness.
  • Dressing: The dressing is really simple and still packs lots of flavor. You can replace ⅓ cup of the mayonnaise with Greek yogurt or sour cream for a lighter version.
Shrimp Pasta Salad in a white bowl

Serving Tip

This Shrimp Pasta Salad recipe is perfect for a potluck or BBQ, but you’ll want to ensure it stays chilled.

Fill a larger bowl with ice and then set the bowl of pasta salad on the ice. Stir the salad occasionally—this will keep everything chilled.

More Seafood Salads We Love

image of Everyday Comfort cookbook by Holly Nilsson of Spend With Pennies plus text
two small stacked bowls with Shrimp Pasta Salad
4.99 from 92 votes↑ Click stars to rate now!
Or to leave a comment, click here!

Shrimp Pasta Salad

Shrimp Pasta Salad is the perfect dish for a potluck or party. It comes together within minutes and it’s incredibly delicious!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Chill Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 8 servings
buy hollys book

Ingredients  

  • 8 ounces elbow macaroni
  • 1 ⅓ cups small cooked shrimp
  • cup diced celery
  • ½ cup diced red bell pepper
  • 1 tablespoon finely diced white onion

Dressing

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons sweet relish
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste

Instructions 

  • In a large pot of salted water, cook macaroni noodles al dente according to package directions. Rinse under cold water and drain well.
  • In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, relish, dill, sugar, and salt. Stir well.
  • Add the cooled pasta, shrimp, celery, bell pepper, and onion. Gently toss to combine.
  • Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow flavors to blend.

Notes

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Stir before serving.
4.99 from 92 votes

Nutrition Information

Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 307 | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 290mg | Potassium: 118mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 405IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Party Food, Pasta, Salad, Seafood
Cuisine American

Shrimp Pasta Salad with a title

Categories:

,

Recipes you'll love

About the author

Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. With a passion for nostalgic flavors and simplified techniques, Holly helps busy home cooks create delicious meals that always work. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals.
See more posts by Holly

Follow Holly on social media:

pinterest facebook twitter instagram

Free eBook!

Subscribe to receive weekly recipes and get a FREE Bonus e-book: Quick & Easy Weeknight Meals!

You can unsubscribe anytime by clicking the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of emails you receive.

4.99 from 92 votes (76 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. I have printing so many of your recipes and they are all wonderful that I have tried.
    The Shrimp Pasta Salad was excellent and have shared it with my two sisters. My husband loved it.
    Thank you Holly!!!5 stars

  2. What a winner for today’s lunch for my elderly parents. Simple and delicious. I had all the ingredients on hand already and added a touch of fresh basil from the garden on top. I always check your website for a recipe first. I haven’t been disappointed yet ! Thank You!

  3. I love this recipe and have been making it for years. It also works well with chopped cooked chicken for those with allergies or who don’t eat seafood. I often make both.5 stars

  4. This was my first attempt at making shrimp pasta salad and I am glad I chose this recipe. It was amazing! Thanks5 stars

  5. Making this today! However, I don’t have lemon juice. Does lime juice work the same or would it alter the taste too much?

    1. Hi Teccara, it will alter the taste but I think it will be delicious still with lime juice! Let us know what you think. You can always start with less and alter the amount to taste as well!

  6. My Grandma used to make this. I added 1 ingredient that now makes this recipe a 5 star…. crushed pineapple!4 stars

  7. I made this today to bring to a birthday party.  It turned out great.  I only wish I had saved some for myself to have later. I will definitely make this again. Quick & easy.

    1. If no fresh dill what can be used in place of? Also, cooking the shrimp with seasoning wouldn’t overdo this recipe right?

  8. This is by far the best tasting shrimp pasta salad I’ve ever tried. One word of caution, make sure your pasta product is well drained. Last time I made this I was in a hurry my pasta was too wet and made the dressing runny, not good! A learning experience for a for sure. Love the recipe as written but will try with additional veggies next time. YUM for both of us!5 stars

      1. I use two cans of medium shrimp, a can of Fancy Crab meat, and add fresh peas. Love shrimp salad!5 stars

  9. Made this today for my husband’s work cook out .it tastes fabulous if they don’t love it there crazy …

    PS : I double the recipe it was awesome thank you..5 stars

  10. I made this recipe for an all ladies church program and it was delicious! Everyone loved it. Thank you!5 stars

    1. Perhaps an alternative could be a dill relish or just simply chopped dill pickles? Let me know if you try this and how you like it.

      1. Holly I used sweet pickle relish and it was very good…also used lemon juice in bottle, but only 1 Tbsp. and 1Tbsp. dill as I did not have fresh…turned out really good…family enjoyed the salad  P.S.  Used the frozen shrimp and cooked a few minutes and cut into 2-3 pieces !!!

      2. Great additions, I am so glad you guys loved it Christina!

  11. This is a lovely change over putting in canned tuna. We add defrosted petite green peas to most of out pasta salads which the adults love. Just discovered your site recently and enjoy it. hanks for sharing your recipe ideas. CC in N.Y.