Mediterranean Shrimp and Pasta Salad

Jumbo shrimp, artichokes, Kalamata olives, feta cheese, and a creamy lemon dressing add fresh Mediterranean flavor to this easy pasta salad.

Everyone should have one or two pasta salad recipes in their repertoire for when they want a quick, easy dinner, or a healthy pack-and-go lunch.

This version is made with jumbo shrimp and Mediterranean-inspired ingredients that include Kalamata olives, artichokes, feta cheese, and red onion.

The creamy garlic and lemon dressing pulls everything together to make a fresh, flavorful dish that looks as good as it tastes.

Shopping List: Mediterranean Shrimp and Pasta Salad

To make this meal as easy as possible, start with pre-cooked shrimp from the seafood department of your local grocer. We generally buy jumbo shrimp (16 to 20 per pound) sold for shrimp cocktail.

When it comes to choosing a cut of pasta, pick one with grooves or ridges that will hold the dressing well. Our favorite is rotini, but penne and farfalle are good choices too.

In addition to the shrimp, pasta and a few kitchen staples like olive oil, garlic, and mayonnaise, you'll need:

• Red onion: Red onion is a classic ingredient in Greek salads. Its flavor holds up well against other bold ingredients like olives and artichokes.
• Cherry tomatoes: A favorite choice for pasta salad, cherry tomatoes hold their shape when tossed with other ingredients. You can use wedges of tomato too, just add them right before serving and toss gently so they don't break up.
• Kalamata olives: This variety of Greek olive has a dark purple color, fruity flavor, and come marinated in red wine vinegar and olive oil. If your local grocer has an olive bar, look for them there, but if not, jarred is fine. Mezzetta Pitted Kalamata Olives are our favorite
• Canned artichoke hearts: We often use canned artichoke hearts in salads. While not as good as fresh or frozen, they're still pretty tasty and you can't beat the convenience. As far as brands go, we've used both Cento and Reese. They're easy to find and we've never been disappointed.
• Feta cheese: This is another classic Greek ingredient and it adds creamy, salty goodness to this salad. We recommend buying feta in a block and crumbling it yourself as the pre-crumbled variety can be overly salty.
• Parsley
• Fresh lemons

Mediterranean Shrimp and Pasta Salad

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Jumbo shrimp, artichokes, Kalamata olives, feta cheese, and a creamy lemon dressing add fresh Mediterranean flavor to this easy pasta salad.

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Ingredients

• 6 ounces pasta (rotini, penne, farfalle)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 lb cooked jumbo shrimp
• 1/3 cup red onion, roughly chopped
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved lengthwise
• 1 can (14 ounces) artichoke hearts, drained
• 1/3 cup feta cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• Lemon wedges for serving

For the dressing:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions, drain and return to the pan.
2. Toss with the olive oil and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
3. While the pasta cools, make the dressing. Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, mayonnaise, lemon zest, and garlic together until well blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Add the shrimp, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and kalamata olives to the pasta. Pour on the dressing and toss to combine.
5. Add the feta cheese and parsley and mix gently.
6. Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with lemon wedges.
   

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 434 Total Fat: 27g Saturated Fat: 5g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 20g Cholesterol: 192mg Sodium: 570mg Carbohydrates: 25g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 3g Sugar: 5g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 25g

Note: Nutrition information is estimated and may vary from your actual results.