Bored Of Your Go-To Pasta Salad? Throw In Some Shrimp

Pasta salads are a fun go-to side dish with plenty of flavor options. They can be as simple as throwing together any kind of bite-size pasta with some chopped veggies and dressing. Toss in cubed cheddar or blue cheese crumbles for a little pizzazz. Maybe add some flaked tuna or diced ham as well. But if you've found you're always reaching for the same old pasta salad ingredients, and you're not excited to eat it anymore, you just might be stuck in a rut. There's one ingredient that can perk your pasta salad back up and revive its status among favorites.

The next time you're making pasta salad, throw in some succulent shrimp. Not only is the crustacean firm yet tender when it's served cold, but its sweet meaty flavor makes it perfect for salads of all types. Since shrimp is more dense than noodles but softer than most of the veggies, its texture is ideal for pasta salads. And its unique ocean flavor means it will transform those salads into an elevated version of their former selves.

When adding shrimp to your pasta salad recipe, there is no one kind that's best. Shrimp is versatile and will amp up almost any kind of pasta salad. The seafood goes amazingly well with just about any type of pasta shape, from large or small shells and the similar but rounder orecchiette, to rigatoni, penne, and even elbow macaroni. Likewise, an orzo pasta salad with shrimp is sure to please.

Shrimp will work equally well with vinaigrette as it will with a mayonnaise-based dressing. As for vegetables, the world is your oyster ... err, shrimp! Crunchy veggies like cucumber, bell pepper, radishes, and celery are all good matches, but so are softer ones like tomatoes and peas. And don't sleep on pickled produce like asparagus, cocktail onions, capers, or standard pickles. If you're feeling brave you might even want to give a fruit like mango a try. Whatever your usual pasta salad consists of, shrimp is pretty much guaranteed to be a big upgrade.

If there's one thing to keep in mind when preparing shrimp for pasta salad it's not to cook it too long. Overcooked shrimp easily turns tough and rubbery, leading to a chewiness that is not appetizing. Meanwhile, the seafood also loses those delicate flavors and quickly becomes bland. Boiling is too harsh for shrimp, so you'll want to gently poach them instead. Poaching essentially goes easier on the shrimp, making it less likely they'll overcook.

Poaching is easy to do. Just bring some salt water to a boil, but instead of adding the shrimp directly, first remove the pot from the burner and wait for the water to stop bubbling. At that point, pop the shrimp into the water and cover, letting them sit until they turn an opaque pink. Immediately transfer the shrimp to an ice bath to stop the cooking process. This will also cool them down in a hurry so that they can go straight into the pasta salad. If you're in a hurry, another option is to use store-bought pre-cooked shrimp. This will save you from having to poach the crustaceans — a big benefit if you're worried about over or undercooking them.