Creamy Shrimp Pasta Salad with Lemon and Fresh Dill
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Creamy shrimp pasta salad with small shells, celery, red bell pepper and a lemony mayo-dill dressing. Make it ahead, chill, and serve 8 at your next cookout.
Total Time:2–3 hours
Yield:8
Ingredients
Shrimp Pasta Salad Ingredients
For the dressing
1 ¼ cups mayonnaise, plus more if needed
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons ketchup
¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
Juice of 1 lemon
â…“ cup chopped fresh dill
For the salad
1 package (12 ounces) small pasta shells
1 pound cooked, peeled and deveined small shrimp, cut in half
½ cup finely diced red bell pepper
¾ cup diced celery
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 pinch paprika, for garnish
3 sprigs fresh dill, or as desired, for garnish
Ingredient notes
Small pasta shells. Their cupped shape traps the dressing, so every shell carries flavor. Small elbows or ditalini make a good backup.
Cooked shrimp. Ready-cooked shrimp from the seafood counter or freezer case keeps this recipe easy. If frozen, thaw it overnight in the fridge, then pat it dry so excess water doesn’t thin the dressing.
Mayonnaise. It forms the creamy base of the dressing, so choose one you enjoy on its own. Full-fat mayo gives the richest texture.
Ketchup and Worcestershire. These are used in tiny amounts. Rather than tasting like either, they add a subtle sweet-savory backbone, a little like a classic seafood cocktail sauce.
Fresh dill. Dill and seafood are a natural pairing. Fresh dill is essential here; dried dill won’t give the same bright, grassy flavor.
Instructions
How to Make Shrimp Pasta Salad
Make the dressing. In a bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt and cayenne. Add the lemon juice and the chopped dill, then whisk until fully combined. Keep the dressing in the fridge while you cook the pasta.
Cook the pasta. Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil. Stir in the shells and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until tender.
Rinse and cool. Drain the pasta, then rinse it with cold water to cool it slightly and stop the cooking. Drain well again and transfer it to a large bowl.
Combine the salad. Add the shrimp to the pasta and toss. Next, add the red bell pepper, celery and dressing. Mix thoroughly, so the dressing coats everything and fills the shells.
Chill. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours, until well chilled.
Adjust and serve. Stir the salad again before serving. Taste, then season with more salt, black pepper, lemon juice or cayenne if you like. If it looks a little dry, stir in a bit more mayonnaise. Finally, sprinkle with paprika and garnish with dill sprigs.
Why it may need more mayo: as the salad chills, the pasta keeps absorbing some of the dressing. That’s why the recipe invites a final taste-and-adjust before serving.
