The first time I made this seafood pasta salad it was for a birthday party I had for my 1-year-old daughter. That was in 1988. I’ve been holding on to the recipe for a long time because I adore seafood and love pasta salad. It’s attractive, filled with a mix of seafood, savory herbs, olives and lemony vinaigrette. Bring it along with you to potlucks, picnics or serve it at parties.
It’s best to find the freshest fish and shellfish available. I often buy mine at my local farmer’s market. There are a couple vendors there with seafood in coolers that they pick up directly from fishing boats at the beach. It’s unbelievably fresh and tastes incredible.
Not everyone lives near the ocean and has access to fresh fish. Flash frozen seafood will work especially if it’s wild caught. Check the labels to see where it came from and how it was processed. Combine any combination of mussels, clams, lobster, crab, shrimp, calamari, oysters, scallops, whitefish, salmon or lake fish. How about crawdads and catfish? Then, lightly steam or saute your catch and let it cool.
This Seafood Pasta Salad Pescara can be made ahead and served cold. Enjoy it with a fine glass of chardonnay.
Bon Appetit!
- 1 LB pasta (short) penne, elbows, shells or swirls
- 3 cups mixed cooked seafood shrimp, mussels, calamari, lobster, crab, whitefish, scallops (as available)
- ¼ cup tomatoes fresh, plum, diced and seeded
- 3 Tbsp basil fresh, chopped
- ½ cup dill fresh, finely chopped
- 1.2 cup shallots diced
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup ripe olives diced
- ½ cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
- ¼ cup Dijon Mustard
- 1 Tbsp vinegar (white balsamic or red wine vinegar)
- ½ cup Ripe Olives sliced
- ¼ cup zucchini grated
- Cook the pasta al dente according to package directions and drain
- Add the pasta to a large serving bowl and toss with cooked and cooled seafood, tomatoes, fresh herbs, shallots, capers, pimentos, chopped olives, and lemon juice.
- Add olive oil and toss.
- Mix the mustard and vinegar until smooth.
- Toss all of the ingredients again.
- Decorate the top of the mixture with ripe olive slices and grated zucchini
- Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled
HI! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe during the #HGEATS Chat- it was so perfect for Pasta-Palooza! We are definitely going to have to try this recipe for our next party! Please share your foodie tips and/or recipes in #HGEATS hashtag anytime during the week! Love what you are doing!
Thanks Kimberly, I have a blast on your #hgeats twitter chat and I appreciate that you have created such a fun and interesting community of foodies. I always look forward to it.
Your seafood salad looks delicious! Yes, we are lucky to be near the ocean where fresh seafood is available.That Chardonnay sounds wonderful too!
Thanks so much Raquel. It’s is a tasty pasta salad. I don’t know what I would do with myself if I didn’t live a reasonable distance from the ocean. But luckily, for those who don’t there are ways of finding fresh fish if you know where to look.
Mmmm. I love me some pasta salad. And throw in some seafood goodness? Get outta here! It looks like a healthy meal too. Which is great for me since I’m all for staying fit and eating only healthy foods.
Hi Becky,
That’s wonderful that you’re eating healthy and staying fit. Good clean eating makes all the difference. Thanks so much for your comment. It’s one of my favorite pasta salads.