Cold Seafood Pasta Salad is a beloved Aussie dish, loaded with prawns, surimi and pasta coated in an irresistible creamy dressing
Humble seafood pasta salad
Spring seems to be here already, even though we’re in the last week of winter. The beautiful warm weather has arrived and I’m ready to come out of hibernation. After spending several months on soups and stews, it’s time to move on to some salads!
My sister and I have fond memories of enjoying the humble seafood pasta salad. As children, we saved our pocket money to buy small containers from the deli section at our local supermarket. We were smitten by the creamy dressing that covered each delicious pasta, prawn and seafood extender… actually, let’s call them surimi because anything Japanese automatically becomes more interesting! 😍
I’m impressed that this salad was so yummy that we didn’t even mind eating celery, capsicum, and carrot as children 😂 I served this to my four-year-old, Kai, and he ended up picking out all the prawns! He does that when he eats sushi too and it drives me crazy!
This is my copycat version of our Aussie supermarket version, but with way more seafood. Also, this homemade dressing is way better than the supermarket stuff because it’s made with good quality mayo, sour cream, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, and seasonings.
This seafood pasta salad may look like a starter or side dish, but I have as a meal because it’s so filling and satisfying. I love serving this when I’m expecting guests because it’s affordable and makes a nice big salad!
Seafood Pasta Salad
What prawns should I use?
For convenience and affordability, go for frozen cooked prawns because they save you time as they come peeled and cleaned. Defrost them in the freezer overnight, then pat them dry with paper towels before adding them to the salad. The drawback is that these prawns rarely taste as good as the ones sold by fishmongers.
If you’re making this salad for a special occasion and have the time, I highly recommend getting the prawns from the fishmongers. Trust me, it’s definitely worth going to the trouble of peeling and deveining every SINGLE prawn yourself!
Select medium to small sized prawns. They should have a vibrant orange colour and their shells should look glossy. If the prawns have an overpowering fishy smell, it means they are not fresh. Remember, shelled prawns weigh more because of their heads, so get double the amount called for in the recipe.
What is Surimi?
You can usually find packets of surimi in the freezer section of supermarkets and Asian grocers. The surimi needs to be thawed in the fridge overnight before you can add it to the salad.
Surimi (also known as seafood extender or imitation crab/lobster) is a processed seafood product made from white fish meat mixed with flavouring to imitate crab. It’s often used in sushi and seafood salads.
More amazing seafood recipes to try:
Ingredients for Seafood Pasta Salad
Short dried pasta – I used Mafalde Corte, but you can use any type of short pasta, like macaroni, bowties, ziti, penne, or fusilli.
Cooked prawns – For convenience, I used frozen small to medium-sized prawns (thawed overnight before using). However, for the best tasting prawns, go for the freshly cooked ones, but you’ll need 300g / 10.5oz of prawn meat (weighed after removing the shells)
Surimi (seafood extender) is processed seafood made by blending different fish with flavourings to imitate crab or lobster flavour. Surimi is quite delicious if you get good quality ones and they’re very affordable too. You can find frozen surimi at supermarkets or Asian grocers. Just let the surimi thaw in the fridge overnight before using.
Whole egg mayonnaise – For the best taste, if possible, use good quality mayonnaise, the ones with whole egg. High-quality mayonnaise is made with better ingredients, such as fresh eggs and high-grade oils, resulting in a creamier and smoother consistency.
Sour cream – For the best taste and dressing consistency, use regular or full cream, sour cream. You could swap for light sour cream, however, the dressing may be less rich and less thick.
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How to make Seafood Pasta Salad
Step-by-step guide with photos
Cook pasta according to the package instructions, usually around 8-10 minutes or until al dente. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Once done, drain the pasta in a colander and rinse with cold water, then drain again. To help stop the pasta from clumping, add a small amount of olive oil to the pasta and let it cool completely.
For the dressing – Place all the dressing ingredients into a bowl, then whisk well until smooth and well combined. Have a taste and adjust the salt and pepper to your liking if needed.
Place the cooled pasta in a large bowl, then add half of the dressing. Add the prawns and surimi with the remaining ingredients, then pour the remaining dressing over the top. Use two wooden spoons to combine the ingredients until the dressing covers everything. Optional – garnish the salad with sliced spring onions.
How to store Seafood Pasta Salad
Leftovers – Transfer the seafood pasta into a sealed container and store in fridge for up to 2 to 3 days.
I’ve used a third-party application to calculate the calories and nutritional information, so please use this as an approximate guide only.
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements. For specific details and conversions, visit our Australian Cooking Measurements page.
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Cheers – Cat T
Seafood Pasta Salad
Video
Ingredients
- 200g / 7oz any dried short pasta of choice (I used Mafalde Corte) (NOTE 1)
- 300g / 10.5oz cooked and peeled prawns (NOTE 2)
- 300g / 10.5oz surimi or seafood extender (NOTE 3)
- 1 (60g / 2oz) celery stalk, finely diced
- 1 (150g / 5.3oz) carrot, peeled and grated
- ½ (60g / 2oz) red capsicum or bell pepper, finely diced
- ½ (50g / 1.8oz) small red onion, finely diced
- 2 (45g / 1.6oz) spring onions or scallion stalks, finely sliced
FOR THE DRESSING
- 1 (235g / 8.3oz) cup whole egg mayonnaise, good quality (NOTE 4)
- 1 (220g / 7.8oz) cup sour cream, preferably not light or skim (NOTE 5)
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp white sugar
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to the package instructions, usually around 8-10 minutes or until al dente. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Once done, drain the pasta in a colander and rinse with cold water, then drain again. To help stop the pasta from clumping, add a small amount of olive oil to the pasta and let it cool completely.
- For the dressing – Place all the dressing ingredients into a bowl and whisk well until smooth and well combined. Have a taste and adjust the salt and pepper to your liking if needed.
- Place the cooled pasta in a large bowl, then add half of the dressing. Add the prawns and surimi with the remaining ingredients, then pour the remaining dressing over the top. Use two wooden spoons to combine the ingredients until the dressing covers everything. Optional – garnish the salad with sliced spring onions.
