Italian cold spaghetti salad with shrimp

5 from 50 votes

Italian cold spaghetti salad with shrimp

This easy cold spaghetti salad recipe comes from the Central Italian region of Marche. The main ingredients are pre-cooked peeled shrimps or prawns, rocket (arugula) and small tomatoes tossed with spaghetti in a simple olive oil and vinegar dressing. Perfect for a cold lunch, picnic, buffets and potlucks!

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Course: Main Course, pasta salad

Cuisine: Central Italy, Italian, Le Marche, Marche, Mediterranean

Keyword: cold spaghetti, pasta salad, spaghetti salad

Servings:

Calories: 455kcal

Author: Jacqui

Ingredients

400 g spaghetti (14oz) I used square cut spaghetti from La Molisana
300 g pre-cooked and peeled shrimps or prawns (10.5 oz) I used tiger prawns called mazzancole in Italian
100 g rocket (arugula) (3.5oz) washed
300 g cherry or datterini tomatoes (10.5oz) washed and cut in halves or quarters
extra virgin olive oil. as required
1 teaspoon vinegar (white wine or apple cider)
salt for pasta and to taste
freshly ground black pepper. to taste

Instructions

Prepare the ingredients

Wash the tomatoes and cut them in half or in quarters. Wash the rocket. Blanch the shrimp or prawns in boiling water and allow to cool. (just a few seconds for shrimp, a minute for prawns)

Cook the pasta

Put a pot of water on to boil for the spaghetti. Add salt once it starts to boil and bring to the boil again. Cook the spaghetti al dente according to the instructions on the packet. Drain the spaghetti and rinse it with cold water to stop it cooking further and to remove the starch.

Finish and serve your spaghetti salad

Put the tomatoes, prawns, and rocket in a large bowl with some olive oil, a dash of vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Add the cooked spaghetti. Mix well. Add more olive oil if necessary and serve immediately. This spaghetti salad is best served at room temperature, not too fridge cold.

Notes

This recipe calls for spaghetti but other pasta types would work too.

This spaghetti salad can be made a little in advance and kept covered with cling film in the fridge until ready to serve. But the rocket (arugula) will start to get soggy quite quickly because of the olive oil and liquid from the tomatoes. If you want to prepare in advance add the rocket when ready to serve.

Ideas for other ingredients see text above.

Nutrition