Description
A creamy, protein-packed shrimp pasta salad with macaroni, crisp vegetables, and a tangy dressing—perfect for meal prep, cookouts, and weekday lunches.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 oz dried macaroni (elbow or small shells)
- 2½ teaspoons salt, divided
- 1½ cups small frozen shrimp, defrosted (about 4–5 oz)
- 4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped (reserve slices for garnish)
- 1 green bell pepper, finely diced
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 3 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ¼ cup dill pickle relish
- ½ teaspoon dried dill
Instructions
- Cook macaroni in salted boiling water until just past al dente (1-2 minutes beyond package directions). Drain and rinse with cold water.
- Defrost shrimp in cold water and pat dry. If using fresh shrimp, boil for 2-3 minutes until pink, then cool in ice bath.
- Dice vegetables uniformly into ¼-inch pieces.
- In a large bowl, whisk mayonnaise, sugar, relish, dill, and ½ teaspoon salt until smooth.
- Add cooled pasta, shrimp, vegetables, and chopped eggs to dressing. Fold gently to combine.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Stir gently before serving and adjust seasoning if needed.
Notes
Replace half the mayo with Greek yogurt for a lighter option. Use canned shrimp if needed—drain and rinse thoroughly. Store leftovers for 2-3 days in the refrigerator.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 440
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 115mg