Full of simple and fresh ingredients, Aunt Bee’s Southern shrimp pasta salad has been a family favorite for decades! The flavorful combination of peas, lemon, dill, and a creamy mayo dressing makes this the perfect side dish for your next cookout, an easy option for a weeknight dinner, or a refreshing make-ahead lunch.
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If you love pasta salad recipes, be sure to try this classic pasta salad, this creamy Italian pasta salad, this Hawaiian pasta salad, a tuna pasta salad, and this Southern macaroni salad, too!
I’ve been making this for the past three summers!!! I absolutely love the combined flavors…. especially the shrimp!! Potato salad is great but this salad is fast and easy and it never gets old!!! Bravo!!!
– Julie
How to Make Shrimp Pasta Salad | 1-Minute Video
Aunt Bee’s Recipe is a Southern Classic
My mom’s godmother, Aunt Bee, was a fine Southern hostess in the best sense of the term! She served holiday meals, cocktails, and lunches to our friends and family for as long as I can remember, and her dishes were always delicious. Aunt Bee had a knack for preparing classic recipes in a way that feels special and decadent. She knew which ingredients would work best together, and she also knew some genius shortcuts to keep prep time in the kitchen minimal. Isn’t that what we’re all looking for?
Up until she passed away at 103 years old last year, Aunt Bee shared treasures from her past (and present!) with me — including fond memories of my grandmother (her best friend), her family’s holiday traditions and keepsakes, and some of her most loved recipes. Don’t miss her 3-ingredient biscuits, sour cream muffins, crab bisque, or Swedish meatballs, either!
What to Know Before You Get Started
- Use small, cooked, peeled, and deveined shrimp to eliminate prep work. I like the small (71-90 count per pound) size because they’re a bit larger and meatier than “salad shrimp,” but they’re still bite-size and don’t require chopping. Let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight, drain them and pat them dry, then stir them directly into the salad. If you prefer to cook your own shrimp at home, see my notes at the bottom of the post for those instructions.
- Elbow macaroni is a classic addition to this pasta salad, but you can substitute with any similar small pasta shape, such as rotini, small shells, farfalle (bowties), or penne. Cook the pasta just until al dente, so that it’s not too mushy in the salad.
- Play around with the flavors in the dressing. For instance, add grated lemon zest for a stronger lemon taste. I love the combination of dill with seafood, but you can substitute with chopped fresh parsley, basil, thyme, or chives. Add a dash or two of Old Bay seasoning for a zesty touch, sprinkle with paprika for color, add a dash of garlic powder, or make it spicy with cayenne.
- Add extra ingredients. For instance, if you want a crab and shrimp pasta salad, substitute jumbo lump crab meat or even imitation crab for half of the shrimp called for in this recipe. For more veggies, try diced red bell pepper, orange bell pepper, or halved cherry tomatoes. Cubed cheese would also be great!
Directions
This pasta salad with shrimp is not fancy, but it disappears fast at picnics, at a potluck, or at your next family dinner. I especially love the variety of textures, from the creamy dressing to the crunchy vegetables and the tender pasta.
- Boil the pasta according to the package directions for al dente. Liberally salt the pasta cooking water, since this is your chance to season the noodles. Rinse the pasta under cold water to stop the cooking process. This also removes some of the starches from the noodles so that they don’t stick together in the salad.
- Combine cooked shrimp, cooked pasta, green onion, bell pepper, celery and peas in a large bowl.
- Whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, fresh dill, salt and pepper in a separate bowl.
- Pour the dressing over the pasta and toss to coat.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Serving Suggestions
If you’re serving the shrimp pasta salad as an entrée, it’s great alongside a crusty French baguette, a basket of blackberry muffins, or a skillet of cast iron cornbread. If you’d like to offer the salad as a side dish, it’s great paired with grilled chicken, crab cakes, and London Broil.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Make Ahead: For convenience, you can make this shrimp macaroni salad the night before you plan to enjoy it. I recommend chilling the pasta salad for at least 30 minutes before serving to give the flavors a chance to “come together,” but overnight is fine as well. You might need to add a little bit more mayonnaise to the salad the next day if you find that the pasta has absorbed too much of the dressing.
- Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- I do not recommend freezing the pasta salad. The creamy dressing may “break” or separate when thawed, and the pasta and vegetables will be mushy.
I tried this today and it is killer! I substituted cucumbers vs. peas and added parsley and some Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning! It was a major hit in my house! Definitely a go-to for barbecues!
– Kelsey
More Pasta Salad Recipes to Try
Ham Pasta Salad
50 minutes mins
Easy Pasta Salad with Mayo, Lemon and Basil
2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Chicken Pasta Salad with Shrimp and Pepperoni
2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Did you make this recipe?
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Watch How to Make It
Shrimp Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb. small (71-90 count per pound) shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cooked (I buy the frozen, pre-cooked version for quick preparation)
- 8 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni pasta
- ¼ cup chopped green onion
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 2 cups diced celery (about 4 stalks)
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh minced dill
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain the pasta in a colander and rinse under cold water. Set aside to cool to room temperature. In a large bowl, combine cooked shrimp, pasta, green onion, bell pepper, celery, and peas. In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, dill, salt, and pepper.
- Pour dressing over pasta mixture and gently toss until completely coated.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Make Ahead: For convenience, you can make this shrimp pasta salad the night before you plan to enjoy it. I recommend chilling the pasta salad for at least 30 minutes before serving to give the flavors a chance to “come together,” but overnight is fine as well. You might need to add a little bit more mayonnaise to the salad the next day if you find that the pasta has absorbed too much of the dressing.
- Store the pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
How to Cook Shrimp for Pasta Salad
As I mentioned above, I like to buy a bag of small, pre-cooked, peeled and deveined shrimp in the frozen seafood section at the grocery store. Then I just need to thaw them, pat them dry, and add them directly to the salad — no cooking necessary!
If you’re starting with raw shrimp, you will need to cook them before stirring them into the pasta salad. To do so, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once the liquid boils, turn off the heat. Add the shrimp to the hot water and allow the shrimp to poach, uncovered, for a couple of minutes (stirring occasionally) just until they turn pink.
While the shrimp cooks, prepare an ice bath by combining cold water and a lot of ice in a large bowl. When the shrimp is just pink and opaque, transfer the shrimp to the ice bath to immediately chill and stop the cooking process. Allow the shrimp to sit in the ice bath for 10 minutes. Drain, pat dry, and peel. Pat dry again, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
This recipe was originally published in June, 2015. It was updated in July, 2024.
QUICK, EASY, Substituted left over white rice for the pasta, didn’t have celery or green pepper, went without, used frozen pre-cooked wild salad shrimp. Very good for minimal effort. Making again now for the 2nd time with left over ramen noodles. Thanks for your efforts.
(No cook, if you already have a left over(or even frozen) starch (Pasta, Rice) and frozen pre-cooked shrimp.)
Wonderful! I’m so glad that you’ve been able to make it work with the ingredients that you have on hand. Thanks, Brenda!
Saw this just in time to make for church social. Delicious Something different from the usual chicken casserole!
Many thanks.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Jane! Thank you for trying it out.
Just made this salad and I couldn’t wait the 30 minutes of fridge time! It’s super flavorful and tomorrow when my friends come for lunch it will be amazing! Thanks for sharing!
Awesome! I’m so happy to hear that, Joanne. I hope that your friends love it, too!
This was delicious! The seasonings were just right. I added mushrooms and black olives to the mix. And I served artisan rye bread with it.
Thank you, Mary! We’re so glad you enjoyed it.