Simple Shrimp Pasta Salad with Lemon Herb Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (fresh or thawed from frozen)
- 8 ounces rotini pasta
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 small cucumber, diced
- 1/4 red onion, finely diced
- 1/3 cup Kalamata olives, halved (optional)
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the rotini until just al dente according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside in a large bowl.
- While the pasta cooks, heat a skillet over medium-high heat with a small drizzle of olive oil. Season the shrimp with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Cook 2 minutes per side until pink and just cooked through. Transfer to a plate and let cool. Halve if large.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Add the cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, olives, parsley, and dill to the bowl with the cooled pasta. Add the shrimp. Pour the dressing over everything and toss gently to combine.
- Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately at room temperature or refrigerate for 20 minutes to let the flavors develop before serving.
Notes
Do not overcook the shrimp — pull them off the heat as soon as they turn pink and curl into a loose C shape. Overcooked shrimp turns rubbery and no amount of good dressing will save it.