Creamy Shrimp Pasta Salad
Creamy shrimp pasta salad crafted with a few ingredients and homemade prawn cocktail sauce. This is a swift dinner recipe that is ideal for any weeknight, especially when you’re pressed for time. Nevertheless, it makes an excellent side dish for your summer gatherings, picnics, and celebrations. The salad is vibrant and scrumptious!
Homemade Creamy Shrimp Pasta Salad Recipe
You will adore this straightforward summer pasta salad recipe; it is effortless to assemble without exerting much effort. The only cooking required is for the pasta since the recipe uses pre-cooked frozen shrimps. If you have the luxury of time, you can prepare your own shrimp by boiling it in lightly salted water for a few minutes until fully cooked.
Today’s recipe imitates ASDA’s (referred to as Walmart in the USA) prawn salad with my personal twist. My sole concern about the pre-packaged version is that the proportion of lettuce to other ingredients is excessive. That diminishes the enjoyment of the salad.
This left me no option but to prepare my own at home; the family enjoys it as well. It is budget-friendly, and more importantly, I have control over the ingredients I use, allowing me to customize it to my liking.
Homemade certainly ought to taste superior to store-bought, right? Especially when it comes to something as straightforward as a salad. This pasta salad is fresh, light, and delectable, not to mention low in calories; what’s not to appreciate? Now, let’s begin cooking!
Ingredients
Short pasta: I opted for elbow pasta for this salad, but any other types of short pasta will suffice. Fusilli is another favorite choice for salads.
Shrimps: I used pre-cooked frozen shrimp.
Red bell pepper
Cucumber
Shallot
Sweetcorn
Lemon juice
Ingredient Variations
Here are some additional vegetables and herbs you can incorporate into your salad.
Celery
Dill
Chive or green onions
Jalapeno for a touch of spice
Shrimp salad dressing (Prawn cocktail sauce ingredients)
Mayonnaise: I am using low-fat mayonnaise to maintain the healthiness of this recipe without sacrificing flavor.
Ketchup
Worcestershire sauce
Salt and black pepper
Smoked paprika, an alternative to sweet paprika
How to make creamy pasta salad
Prepare the creamy dressing: In a small mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper, along with a dash of paprika, then mix well. Refrigerate the sauce and proceed to prepare the other ingredients. Alternatively, you can skip this step and create the dressing after mixing the veggies with the pasta.
Chop the additional ingredients: Dice the lettuce, carrots, and cucumber into any preferred sizes, then set aside, covered or refrigerated.
Defrost the shrimp: The best method is to thaw the shrimp overnight in the refrigerator. However, if you’re short on time, just rinse the frozen shrimps in a colander under cold running water until they are thoroughly thawed. Allow the shrimp to drain before adding it to the salad.
Cook the pasta: Boil for one minute longer than the time suggested on the package instructions, drain, and rinse under cold water to halt the cooking process or prevent them from sticking together. Let them cool completely.
Combine: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta, vegetables, a squeeze of lemon juice, and mix well. Add the shrimps, dressing, and gently mix to combine. Taste and enhance with salt and black pepper as necessary. Dust some smoked paprika over the salad, cover with cling film, and place in the fridge for a minimum of 20 minutes for the flavors to meld.
Serve and relish!
What to serve with shrimp pasta salad
I typically enjoy this pasta salad on its own, as it is quite substantial with the shrimps. However, if you’re serving it as a side dish, it pairs perfectly with any grilled proteins. Here are a few serving suggestions you might consider:
Air fryer chicken wings
Crispy oven-baked chicken wings
Air fryer boneless chicken thighs
Simple oven-baked chicken drumsticks
Air fryer honey soy drumsticks
Air fryer steak bites
How to store
Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours, but the shrimp salad cannot be frozen. For the best results, if serving to guests or if you won’t be consuming it immediately, add the dressing and shrimp just prior to serving. The pasta and veggies can be prepped 24 hours in advance.
Watch how to make it
More summer salad recipes
Watermelon feta salad
Chickpea salad
Summer fruit salad
Cucumber salad
Creamy pasta salad
If you tried this creamy shrimp pasta salad recipe, don’t hesitate to share your thoughts and rate it 5 stars. Tag me @thedinnerbite onInstagram and save it to yourPinterest. Please subscribe to the blog if you haven’t yet for free new recipes sent to your inbox.
Creamy Shrimp Pasta Salad
This creamy shrimp pasta salad is created with a few ingredients and homemade prawn cocktail dressing. It serves as a quick dinner option and also works well as a side dish for your summer gatherings, picnics, and celebrations.
- 300 g short pasta I selected elbow pasta for this salad but any other varieties of short pasta are suitable as well.
- 450 g pre-cooked frozen shrimp
- 1 medium-sized red bell pepper finely diced
- 1 cup English cucumber finely diced
- 1 ½ tbsp shallot finely diced
- 198 g sweet corn drained
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Shrimp salad dressing ingredients
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tsp Ketchup
- ½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and black pepper to preference
- ⅛ Smoked paprika replacement for sweet paprika
Stop your screen from dimming
-
Thaw the shrimp – refer to note 1
-
Prepare the creamy dressing for the salad: in a small bowl for mixing, incorporate mayonnaise, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and paprika, then blend well and refrigerate until required.
-
Boil the pasta for an additional minute beyond the time indicated on the package, then drain and rinse under cool water to halt further cooking and prevent clumping. Let it cool entirely.
-
Mix together: add the cooked pasta, diced vegetables, lemon juice into a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Include the shrimp, salad dressing, and gently mix until everything is blended. Taste and modify salt and black pepper according to your liking. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.Serve and relish!
To thaw cooked shrimp: The optimal method is to let the shrimp thaw overnight in the refrigerator, but if time is limited, simply rinse the frozen shrimp in a colander under cool running water until completely thawed. Allow them to drain prior to adding to the salad.
How to preserve
Leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours; shrimp salad cannot be frozen. For best results, if serving to guests or if not needed immediately, add the dressing and shrimp just before serving. The pasta and vegetables can be prepared 24 hours in advance.
Calories: 373kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 23gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat:
1gCholesterol: 193mgSodium: 825mgPotassium: 347mgFiber: 3gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 766IUVitamin C: 32mgCalcium: 129mgIron: 3mg
Nutritional information: Kindly be aware that the nutrition label presented is an approximation based on an online nutrition calculator. It may differ depending on the particular ingredients and brands you opt for. Under any circumstances, will thedinnerbite.com be accountable for any loss or damage resulting from your reliance on nutritional details.
Post Comment