The Flavorful Meat You Need To Elevate Shrimp Pasta Salad

Amidst a sea of tender, creamy pasta salad, we love to find pieces of juicy shrimp. It's like a sweet surprise that amps up the dish in every bite. The flavor adds so much to pasta salad, especially when boosted by a savory element. For the best shrimp pasta salad, add some bacon to accompany the seafood.

When we think of great culinary pairings, bacon and shrimp typically aren't there, but they definitely should be. The combination is savory with just the right amount of sweetness from both parties. Bacon-wrapped shrimp, a world-class appetizer, displays the duo's deliciousness, as does shrimp and grits graced with a sprinkle of chopped bacon. With the pairing working out so well, why not extend it to shrimp pasta salad by elevating it with pork?

It's meaty in a richer way than shrimp and comes packed with a delectable umami taste. Like shrimp, bacon is quick to cook, so it won't add on much time when preparing the pasta salad. It goes well with every variety of the dish, such as a shrimp macaroni salad. The bacon adds a deep richness to the shallots, bell peppers, and celery sticks while also serving as a crunchy topping to accompany the celery seeds. Whether it's grilled, baked, sauteed, or pan-fried, bacon is the ingredient that you never knew your shrimp pasta salad needed.

There's no one way to make shrimp pasta salad, but combining it with refreshing ingredients like corn, avocado, and cucumbers is one of our favorite approaches. They all vary in mildness, but overall, it's crisp and bright, making it the perfect pasta salad for a hot day. However, it will need a boost of depth, and that comes from bacon. The meat is mouthwatering and savory, making it the perfect topping for a creamy shrimp pasta salad.

If you're at a loss on which shrimp pasta salad to add bacon to, you can find a recipe that can be bulked up with both of them. This veggie antipasti Italian pasta salad doesn't feature meat, but shrimp and bacon can amp it up easily, making it a more filling meal. Keep the seasonings for the shrimp light — salt, pepper, parsley, and oregano will still allow the tangy flavors of the pasta salad to shine through. For the bacon, pan-fry it lightly, allowing it to maintain a tender texture to fit into the juicy olives and creamy mozzarella balls that dot the salad.

You can also add shrimp to a summer BLT pasta salad for an extra dose of sweetness. Sauteed or pan-fried shrimp is great, but we recommend grilling them. The smokiness that comes from the method adds an incredible layer of heat to the salad while deepening the flavor with the charred, caramelized shrimp.