Creamy Shrimp Pasta Salad Recipe | How to Make the Best Seafood Salad (2024)

This Creamy Shrimp Pasta Salad is a healthy summer recipe made with just 4 ingredients! It’s tossed in a creamy, savory homemade dressing to tie it all together.

An Easy Shrimp Pasta Salad Recipe

This is one of the easiest shrimp dishes you’ll ever make! You can bake, grill, or sauté your shrimp – whichever you prefer. Add the shrimp to a bowl with pasta and veggies, whip up your creamy dressing, and your salad is complete!

This pasta salad makes the perfect summer appetizer or light lunch. It’s simple, healthy-ish, and full of flavor from the juicy shrimp plus the savory seasonings in the dressing.

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Recipe Ingredients

For the Salad

• Small Pasta Shells: You don’t have to make your salad with shells, but I do recommend using small pasta.
• Cooked Shrimp: Be sure to remove the tails before adding your shrimp to the salad.
• English Cucumber
• Celery

For the Dressing

• Yogurt
• Mayonnaise: Mayonnaise will make your dressing nice and creamy. You can use more than the recipe calls for if you want it to be even creamier.
• Mustard
• Salt
• Onion Powder
• Black Pepper
• Fresh Dill: Garnish your salad with fresh dill, if desired.

How to Make Shrimp Pasta Salad

1. Prepare Pasta: Cook your pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain and rinse the cooked pasta until it’s cold. Transfer cold pasta to a large salad bowl.
2. Add Shrimp & Veggies: Add prepared shrimp, cucumbers, and celery to the bowl; set aside.
3. Make Dressing: In a mixing bowl, combine yogurt, mayonnaise, mustard, salt, onion powder, and pepper, whisking until incorporated.
4. Add Dressing to Salad: Add your dressing to the pasta salad, mixing until well combined. Taste and adjust accordingly.
5. Chill: Cover and refrigerate the salad until you’re ready to serve it. Garnish salad with fresh dill before serving, if desired.

Tips for the Best Shrimp Pasta Salad

• Use English Cucumbers: I recommend using English cucumbers for this recipe so you don’t have to peel or seed the cucumbers.
• Chill Salad: This salad tastes amazing served right away, but the flavors will really intensify if you refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes before serving.
• Use Small Pasta: You can technically use any kind of pasta for this salad, but I prefer making mine with small shells that are easy to grab with a fork.
• Use Low Fat Mayonnaise: If you want to make your salad even healthier, use low fat mayonnaise or substitute some of the mayo with plain yogurt.

Serving Suggestions

• Roasted Veggies: If you want to pair this salad with a healthy dish, throw together my Roasted Sugar Snap Peas. They’re easy to make, and they have a nice touch of sweetness!
• Mushrooms: These Garlic Butter Mushrooms will go so well with your pasta salad.
• Burgers: Any barbeque food would be a great match for this shrimp salad. Try pairing it with a black bean burger or a classic beef patty!

How to Store Leftovers

• This shrimp salad is best served on the same day it was made, but you can definitely store your leftovers for later!
• If you keep your salad in an airtight container in the fridge, it’ll last for 3-4 days.