This Shrimp Pasta Salad is absolutely delicious with creamy and spicy avocado dressing - The best Mexican pasta salad for summer meals or parties.
Shrimp pasta salad is packed with super flavorful Mexican shrimp, soft rotini pasta, juicy cherry tomatoes, sweet summer corn, sliced red onion and jalapeno. It makes a perfect summer salad like the broccoli cranberry salad.
Instead of adding chopped or sliced avocado into the salad, I grind the avocadoes to make a creamy dressing that only ensures maximum avocado distribution, but also makes a thick dressing, which is almost like an avocado sauce clinging to the pasta.
You'll be tempted to eat this avocado dressing by the spoonful—it's that delicious!
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Why you'll love it?
- Mega flavorful
- Loaded with goodies
- Tastiest avocado salad dressing
- Perfect for lunch, dinner, or parties
- Vibrant and captivating
Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.
- Pasta - I prefer rotini pasta for its corkscrew shape, as it allows the avocado salad dressing to adhere more effectively.
- Shrimp - I used a slightly simpler version of my air fryer Mexican shrimp recipe.
- Avocado - As I mentioned in the avocado crema recipe, select a ripe avocado without any dark spots for the best tasting dressing.
- Tomato - Cherry tomatoes are perfect for pasta salad because they provide bursts of juicy flavor in every bite and add visual appeal with their vibrant colors.
- Corn - While I cooked corn on the cob in the air fryer, this pasta salad truly shines when you use freshly grilled corn, making it a perfect summer dish.
- Jalapeno - You will need it for the avocado salad dressing and sprinkling on top. Use as much or as little as you like.
- Onion - Thinly sliced red onion adds texture and color contrast.
- Lemon - Fresh lemon juice helps brighten the dressing and also balance the flavors.
- Mayo - Just 2 tablespoons of mayo enhances the creaminess of the dressing.
- Spices - Basic spices such as chili, black pepper and garlic powder are used to make the Mexican shrimp.
How to make?
You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
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How to serve?
Like the chicken pasta salad, this is a perfect summer recipe or a meal in itself. Make it for picnics, potlucks, BBQs or as a weeknight dinner or for lunch.
How to make ahead?
- I prefer to store all the shrimp salad with pasta ingredients seperatley in the refrigeartor and then assemble just before serving.
- Avocado dressing can be refrigerated for up to one day.
Take it to picnics, as a side dish for gatherings, or take it to work for lunch.
Helpful tips
- Be generous with salt when boiling your pasta to ensure it's well-seasoned and doesn't end up tasting bland.
- Cook your pasta a touch softer than aldente, which is ideal in salad recipes.
- I choose rotini pasta because its shape helps the avocado dressing stick better. Feel free to use any other shorter shape pasta instead.
More seafood pasta dishes
Shrimp Pasta Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
Shrimp
- 1 pound raw shrimp
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder
Salad ingredients
- 8 ounces Rotini pasta
- 2 ears corn, cooked
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- ½ small red onion thinly sliced
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- ½ jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced optional
Salad dressing
- 1 large Avocado
- 3 tablespoons water or more if needed
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- ½ to 1 jalapeno pepper
- ½ lemon juiced
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Cook shrimp
- Toss shrimp with chili powder, garlic powder, salt and black pepper.
- Air fry - Preheat air fryer to 400°F for 8 minutes. When hot, place shrimp in a single layer and cook for 7 to 8 minutes or cooked through and tender.Stove top - Place a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. When hot, place the shrimp in a single layer and cook on both sides, until curled, pink and cooked through.
Cook pasta
- Fill a pot with three quarts water, bring to a boil. Add one tablespoon salt, followed by the dried pasta. Stir until the water returns to a boil.
- Cook for two minutes more than the package instructions. Strain, rinse, drain and let cool completely.
Make salad dressing
- Add all salad dressing ingredients into a mini food processor or small blender and process until very smooth. Season to taste and add more water if it looks too thick, but don't make it very thin.
Assemble
- Add the cooled pasta and shrimp to a large bowl. Sprinkle all veggies and drizzle the dressing on top. Dig in!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
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