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Plump Gulf shrimp seared in butter and tossed with spiral pasta in a bold, tangy remoulade loaded with the holy trinity, the kind of dish that makes you the legend of the church potluck and keeps folks coming back for the recipe.
Agood pasta salad is never an afterthought. That's the bayou way. This dish earns its place at the center of the table, not off to the side with the napkins and paper plates.
The remoulade does all the heavy lifting here. It's not some timid mayonnaise dressing with a whisper of seasoning. We're talking Creole mustard with its coarse grains and vinegar bite, horseradish that clears your sinuses, hot sauce that builds with every forkful. When I make this at Lagniappe for our Sunday jazz brunch, guests go back three and four times. The secret is layering the flavor: season the shrimp before they hit the pan, build a dressing bold enough to eat with a spoon, then let everything get acquainted in the refrigerator.
My grandmother Evangeline never made pasta salad (she was a potato salad woman through and through), but she taught me the principle that guides this dish: taste as you go, season in stages, and never apologize for bold flavor. You don't need a silver fork to eat good food, and you don't need fancy ingredients to make something memorable. Just Gulf shrimp, good mustard, and the confidence to season like you mean it.
Quantity
1 1/2 pounds
peeled and deveined
Quantity
2 tablespoons, divided
Quantity
3 tablespoons
Quantity
1 pound
Quantity
1 cup
Quantity
1/4 cup
Quantity
2 tablespoons
Quantity
2 tablespoons
Quantity
1 tablespoon, plus more to taste
Quantity
2 teaspoons
Quantity
1 teaspoon
Quantity
2 cloves
minced
Quantity
1 cup
diced
Quantity
1 cup
diced
Quantity
1/2 cup
diced
Quantity
1/2 cup
finely diced
Quantity
4
sliced, white and green parts separated
Quantity
1/4 cup
chopped
Quantity
to taste
Quantity
to taste
freshly cracked
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| large Gulf shrimp (21-25 count)peeled and deveined | 1 1/2 pounds |
| Creole seasoning | 2 tablespoons, divided |
| unsalted butter | 3 tablespoons |
| rotini or cavatappi pasta | 1 pound |
| mayonnaise | 1 cup |
| Creole mustard | 1/4 cup |
| prepared horseradish | 2 tablespoons |
| fresh lemon juice | 2 tablespoons |
| hot sauce | 1 tablespoon, plus more to taste |
| Worcestershire sauce | 2 teaspoons |
| smoked paprika | 1 teaspoon |
| garlicminced | 2 cloves |
| celerydiced | 1 cup |
| green bell pepperdiced | 1 cup |
| red bell pepperdiced | 1/2 cup |
| red onionfinely diced | 1/2 cup |
| green onionssliced, white and green parts separated | 4 |
| fresh flat-leaf parsleychopped | 1/4 cup |
| kosher salt | to taste |
| black pepperfreshly cracked | to taste |
Pat the shrimp completely dry with paper towels. Wet shrimp steam instead of searing, and we want color here. Toss them in a bowl with one tablespoon of Creole seasoning, making sure every piece gets coated. This is the first layer of flavor, and it matters. Let them sit at room temperature while you get everything else ready, at least ten minutes. The seasoning needs time to penetrate.
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Salt it generously until it tastes like the Gulf of Mexico. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente, about one minute less than the package suggests. The pasta will absorb dressing as it sits, so you want a little resistance now. Drain immediately but do not rinse. Spread the pasta on a sheet pan in a single layer and let it cool to room temperature. This prevents clumping and stops the cooking.
Heat a large cast iron skillet over high heat until it just begins to smoke. Add the butter and let it foam and turn golden, about thirty seconds. Add the seasoned shrimp in a single layer. Do not crowd them. Work in batches if needed. Let them cook undisturbed for ninety seconds until the bottoms turn pink and develop golden spots. Flip and cook another sixty to ninety seconds until just cooked through. The shrimp should curl into a loose C shape, not a tight O. Transfer to a plate and let them cool completely.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Creole mustard, horseradish, lemon juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire, smoked paprika, garlic, and the remaining tablespoon of Creole seasoning. The dressing should be bold enough to stand on its own. Taste it. It should wake you up a little, with heat that builds and a tangy bite that makes your mouth water. Adjust the hot sauce and lemon until it sings. This is the soul of the dish.
Add the cooled pasta to the bowl with the remoulade and toss until every spiral is coated. Add the celery, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, red onion, and the white parts of the green onions. These vegetables are the holy trinity and its cousins, bringing crunch and freshness that balances the richness. Fold in the cooled shrimp, reserving a few beautiful ones for garnish. Add half the parsley and toss gently.
Taste the salad. Really taste it. Does it need more salt? More acid? More heat? Adjust now. The flavors will meld and mellow as it chills, so season it slightly bolder than you think it needs. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour, or up to overnight. The wait is hard, but the payoff is worth it. The pasta absorbs the remoulade and everything comes together.
Remove the salad from the refrigerator and give it a good stir. Taste again and adjust seasoning if needed. Transfer to a serving bowl or platter. Arrange the reserved shrimp on top, scatter the green onion tops and remaining parsley over everything. Serve cold or at cool room temperature. This is the kind of dish that makes people come back for seconds and ask for the recipe.
1 serving (about 305g)
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