Seafood Pasta Salad
Cold Seafood Pasta Salad is a beloved Aussie dish, loaded with prawns, surimi and pasta coated in an irresistible creamy dressing
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.
Notes
(NOTE 1) Short dried pasta - I used Mafalde Corte, but you can use any type of short pasta, like macaroni, bowties, ziti, penne, or fusilli.
(NOTE 2) 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)
(NOTE 3) 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.
(NOTE 4) 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.
(NOTE 5) 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.
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.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 ServingCalories: 435kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 12gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 14gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 80mgSodium: 952mgPotassium: 269mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 3717IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 73mgIron: 1mg