Shrimp Pasta Salad — The Kind of Food That Means You’re Staying

I got a job. Well, 'job' is generous. I'm working the register at the Subway on Granby Street three days a week, which is not the career Megan had in mind when she sent me that article but which pays $9.50 an hour and gives me a reason to leave the house and wear a polo shirt with a logo on it. The work is exactly as glamorous as you'd imagine. I make sandwiches. I ask people if they want their bread toasted. I learn that an alarming number of adults cannot decide between provolone and pepper jack and will stand at the counter deliberating like it's a Supreme Court decision. I come home smelling like bread and lunch meat and I shower twice and I still smell like bread and lunch meat. But here's the thing: I don't hate it. I like the rhythm of it. I like the assembly line nature of sandwich-making — bread, protein, cheese, veggies, sauce, wrap, done. I like talking to the regulars. There's a retired teacher named Mrs. Williams who comes in every Tuesday and orders the same thing (turkey on wheat, all the veggies, honey mustard) and tells me about her grandkids, and there's a construction worker named Big Mike who orders a footlong meatball sub and calls me 'sweetheart' in a way that should be annoying but isn't because he tips two dollars every time. Mom finds my Subway employment hilarious. 'You work at a sandwich shop and you can't even make a sandwich right at home,' she said, which is objectively mean and also objectively true. There's a difference between Subway sandwich assembly and actual cooking. Subway is paint-by-numbers. Mom's cooking is Impressionism. Speaking of Mom: she made a cold pasta salad this week that I've eaten for four consecutive lunches and would happily eat for four more. Rotini, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, olives, red onion, cubes of salami, fresh mozzarella, and an Italian dressing she makes from scratch — red wine vinegar, olive oil, oregano, garlic, a pinch of sugar. She makes a giant bowl on Sunday and it lives in the fridge all week and it gets better every day as the pasta absorbs the dressing. This is summer food. This is the food of a woman who has finally figured out that she's not going anywhere and can make things that need time to marinate, that benefit from sitting in the fridge, that assume you'll still be in the same kitchen tomorrow. For twenty-two years, my mother cooked like she might have to pack up and leave at any moment. Now she makes pasta salad that needs three days to reach its peak. That's what stability tastes like. Cold pasta salad on day three. I'm putting aside half my Subway money for school supplies and spending the other half on drives to Virginia Beach with Keisha. The summer is moving fast. I can feel September coming. But right now it's July and I'm making sandwiches and eating pasta salad and that's fine. That's enough.

Mom’s rotini situation has me fully converted to the church of cold pasta salad — the kind you make once and eat for days while it quietly improves in the back of the fridge. If you want to riff on that same idea but add a little something extra, this shrimp pasta salad hits all the same notes: tangy Italian dressing, crisp vegetables, something briny, something creamy, and the deep satisfaction of a meal that requires zero effort by Tuesday. It’s summer food for people who have decided, at least for now, to stay put.

Shrimp Pasta Salad

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 30 min (plus chilling) | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 12 oz rotini or penne pasta
• 1 lb medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cooked
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup cucumber, diced
• 1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup black or kalamata olives, sliced
• 4 oz fresh mozzarella, cubed (or small bocconcini)
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• Italian Dressing:
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking and cool the pasta completely.
2. Make the dressing. Whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, garlic, sugar, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl or shake in a jar until well combined.
3. Combine the salad. In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta, shrimp, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, olives, mozzarella, and parsley.
4. Dress and toss. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss thoroughly to coat everything evenly.
5. Chill. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. For best results, let it sit overnight — the pasta absorbs the dressing and everything gets better. Taste before serving and adjust seasoning if needed.
6. Serve cold. Stir well before serving, as the dressing may settle at the bottom. Add a splash more olive oil or vinegar if it looks dry after sitting.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 420 | Protein: 26g | Fat: 16g | Carbs: 44g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 580mg