Ingredients
Pasta Salad Ingredients
- 1 lb fusilli pasta rotini
- 1 lb shrimp peeled and deveined
- 8 oz smoked streaky bacon
- 2 large avocados diced
- 2 sweet pointed peppers or red, yellow, or orange bell peppers, diced
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp neutral oil such as light olive oil, for cooking the shrimp
Salad Dressing
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp minced fresh chives
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- salt to taste
- black pepper freshly ground, to taste
Instructions
- Make the pasta salad dressing by whisking together lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon mustard, parsley, chives, dried oregano, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Boil the pasta. To a large pot of salted boiling water, add the pasta and cook for the time indicated on the package, plus 1-2 minutes. When pasta is served cold, it’s a bit tougher, so cooking it a bit longer (by 1-2 minutes) is recommended for pasta salads. Drain the pasta and toss with half the salad dressing. Set it aside to cool.
- While the pasta is boiling, cook the bacon. Use your favorite method, whether that’s the oven, pan, or air fryer. My favorite method is as follows: Take 2 baking sheets of an equal size. Then, place parchment paper or baking paper on one and add the bacon rashers on top. Cover with parchment paper and then place the second baking sheet on top. The second baking sheet keeps them flat, allowing them to get evenly crisp. Bake in the preheated oven at 400°F (or 200°C) until you achieve your desired crispiness. Once the bacon cools, roughly chop it.
- Cook the shrimp. Preheat a pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper, and add them to the hot pan, cooking on the first side until the edges start turning opaque and the centers are still slightly translucent (about 2 minutes). Flip the shrimp, add the butter, minced garlic, and lemon zest, and cook until fully opaque, about 1-2 minutes more, depending on the type and size of shrimp. Transfer the shrimp with the juices to a large plate and set aside to cool. Once cooled, cut into bite-sized pieces if the shrimp is large.
- Once all the ingredients have cooled to room temperature (about 15-20 minutes), gently toss the pasta with: diced avocado, diced sweet peppers, cooked shrimp (including the juices/butter), half the chopped crispy bacon (reserving half for the topping), and the remaining salad dressing. You can serve this immediately, or you can refrigerate it for 30-60 minutes before serving. Top with the crispy bacon just before serving.
Notes
Make-Ahead Note: If making this the day before, don’t add the avocado as it will brown. Add it on the day, as close to the time you plan to serve the salad. You can also drizzle some lemon juice on it to keep it from browning quickly.
Additionally, you could hold back on the half of the crispy bacon going into the salad so it doesn't go soft and chewy. Reserve it and add it just before serving.
Bacon Substitute: If you don't love bacon, you can substitute it with chopped sun-dried tomatoes. It makes for a great pescatarian version. Use about 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes (drained if packed in oil). It also makes for a quicker recipe.
Nutrition information is calculated automatically and is an estimate only. See the full nutrition disclosure below.