Coastal Delight Seafood Pasta Salad Recipe
Coastal Delight Seafood Pasta Salad is a vibrant, refreshing dish combining succulent shrimp and scallops with fresh linguine pasta, colorful bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, and a tangy Italian dressing. Perfect for picnics, barbecues, or light family dinners, this salad bursts with coastal flavors and provides a nutritious balance of lean protein and fresh vegetables. Easy to make and customizable, it delivers both taste and visual appeal in every bite.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Coastal American
Ingredients
Scale
Seafood
- 12 ounces medium-sized shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 8 ounces fresh sea scallops
Pasta
- 8 ounces fresh linguine pasta
Vegetables
- 1 red bell pepper, diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ red onion, finely chopped
Dressing & Herbs
- ½ cup store-bought or homemade Italian dressing
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil or parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (for cooking seafood)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cooking The Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add 8 ounces of fresh linguine pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente, about 2-3 minutes. Drain the pasta using a colander but do not rinse it, allowing some starch to help bind the salad later. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Preparing The Seafood: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Season shrimp and scallops generously with salt and pepper. Cook shrimp for 2-3 minutes until pink and firm, then remove from the skillet. Sear scallops in the same skillet for 2-4 minutes per side until golden brown, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Remove scallops and allow residual heat to finish cooking.
- Chopping Vegetables: Dice the red and yellow bell peppers finely. Halve the cherry tomatoes and finely chop the red onion. Add all the chopped vegetables to the mixing bowl containing the linguine.
- Combining Ingredients: Add the cooked shrimp and scallops to the bowl with pasta and vegetables. Drizzle ½ cup Italian dressing evenly over the mixture.
- Mixing and Resting: Toss the salad gently to evenly coat all ingredients with dressing. Add fresh chopped basil or parsley and toss lightly again. Cover and let the salad rest for about 30 minutes at room temperature or refrigerate to allow flavors to meld.
Notes
- Do not overcook the pasta; it should be al dente for the best texture in the salad.
- Season the seafood thoroughly before cooking to enhance flavor.
- Use fresh high-quality seafood for the best taste.
- Adjust the amount of dressing based on personal taste preferences.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
- Letting the salad rest improves flavor melding but is optional.
Keywords: seafood pasta salad, shrimp pasta salad, scallop salad, fresh linguine salad, Italian dressing salad, summer seafood salad
