This old-fashioned side dish is great for a backyard barbecue or simply to help you cool down on a hot summer day. It pairs perfectly with burgers, ribs, slow cooked or grilled meats. This creamy, light & tangy mayonnaise dressing has a secret ingredient that pulls the whole thing together: sweet pickle juice!  

This pasta salad comes together in 20 minutes and can be eaten right away, but for the best flavor (and temperature), I recommend letting it chill in the fridge for at least an hour before serving. This will allow all the favors to come together. You can also prepare this creamy pasta salad in advance – 1 day before serving it.

I love a pasta salad with a crunch! The fresh celery and red pepper in this dish add crunch and texture. The gherkin pickles add sweetness. Egg and onion are staples in any macaroni salad so I had to include them here, too.

The Secret Sauce

The dressing in this dish is lighter and tangier than most traditional macaroni salads thanks to the addition of sweet pickle juice instead of traditional vinegar and mayonnaise based dressings. All I have to say is that it’s damn delcious and you should try it!

Precooked or fresh shrimp?

Either. If you want to use precooked frozen shrimp for this recipe, you can. Just simply run cold water over them in a strainer to thaw. You can also buy fresh small white shrimp from the seafood section of your local market and cook them yourself. To cook the shrimp, boil them for 5-6 minutes until they turn pink and opaque. Then drain the shrimp and pop them into an ice bath to cool down quickly before handling.

Can I use a different pasta?

Yes, you can substitute another type of pasta if you prefer, such as bow tie, rotini, fusilli or medium shell pasta but who doesn’t love the traditional elbow macaroni? It’s a classic.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! 

Classic Shrimp Macaroni Salad Recipe:

1 16oz box elbow macaroni

1 lb small white shrimp chopped

2 ribs celery diced

3 green onions chopped

1/2 a red pepper diced

10 small sweet gherkin pickles chopped

3 hard boiled eggs chopped

For the dressing:

1 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup tablespoons pickle juice

1 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Step 1.

Add water and uncooked eggs to a large pot and bring to a boil. Once the water starts to boil, add your pasta. Cook pasta according to the package instuctions and your preferred firmness level. Rinse the pasta & eggs with cold water and let cool.

Step 2.

Bring water to boil in a small sauce pan, add your raw shrimp and boil for 5-6 minutes. While the shrimp are boiling, prepare an ice bath: a large bowl filled with ice and very cold water. When the shrimp turn pink and are opaque, drain in colander and transfer to the ice bath to cool. Once cooled, chop the shrimp.

Step 3.

Chop celery, red pepper, pickles and dice green onion. Peel and chop the hard boiled eggs.

Step 4.

Add the pasta to a large bowl with the chopped shrimp, celery, red pepper, green onions, pickles, and eggs.

Step 5.

To make the dressing, add mayonnaise, pickle juice, salt and pepper to a small bowl. Wisk and pour over the pasta salad. Mix to combine all ingredients and lightly coat the pasta salad. Enjoy!