Gluten Free Chili Lime Shrimp Pasta Salad Recipe
Updated Apr 02, 2020, Published Jun 13, 2012
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This is a great gluten free recipe for a pasta salad that can be eaten straight away or cold later on. In our house, we enjoyed it both ways!
This salad has a Mexican flair to it, thanks to the dressing of lime juice and chili powder. It contains very little fat, is dairy and refined sugar free and, thanks to the black beans and spinach, is super good for you. Of course good for you is all fine and dandy, but how does it taste? Well, we give it a great big thumbs-up over here at my house.
When we were last in Mexico, we ate a lot of shrimp, which was sort of the inspiration for this dish. Well, actually, if I am to be perfectly honest, the real inspiration for the dish was the fact that I was hungry, tired and in a hurry. I scouted out my pantry, fridge and freezer and it yielded some gluten free penne pasta from Pastato, a bag of frozen shrimp, some leftover black beans and baby spinach leaves. A few other odds and ends and voila – dinner in about 20 minutes!
We ate it warm for dinner and then the next day, cold for lunch – hard to say which way I prefer but I know I liked it so much I am making it again this weekend to serve at our barbeque!
They say necessity is the mother of invention. I think hunger is right up there, too!
Gluten Free Chili Lime Shrimp Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Pastato Penne Pasta
- ¼ cup lime fresh lime juice, (from 2 – 3 limes)
- 2 cloves garlic, , minced
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Gluten free non-stick cooking spray
- 12 ounces large shrimp, , peeled and deveined
- 3 cups baby spinach leaves
- 2 cups cooked black beans or use 1, (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup red onion, (from ½ a small red onion), diced
- 1 tomato, , seeded and diced
- fresh cilantro and limes for garnish - optional
Instructions
- Cook pasta in salted water according to the package directions. Drain and rinse with hot water.
- Combine the lime juice, garlic, chili powder, salt, pepper, honey and olive oil in a small glass jar and shake to combine.
- Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Spray with cooking spray. Add shrimp to pan and cook for about 1 minute per side or until the shrimp just starts to turn pink. Stir in the spinach, black beans, onion and the lime dressing. Add the pasta, toss to coat well and heat for another minute or two, or until the spinach has wilted. Stir in the tomato. Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves and serve with wedges of fresh lime if desired.
- To eat warm, serve immediately. To serve cold, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Can be made a day ahead.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
It’s been a long time since I’ve had a pasta salad! This one looks like a perfect Summer BBQ salad – and easily vegan without the shrimp. Yum!
Thanks Maggie and yes, it would still have plenty of protein with out the shrimp!
Anything with shrimp and lime is right up my alley! YUM!
Thanks Katrina, we miss you around here!
This looks easy and delicious! I pinned it and will be making it soon :)
Oh wow!! What a perfect salad for this summer! I love this recipe! :D My boys would totally dig this one!
Yum, Yum, Yummy – anything with shrimp in it is okay with me. Thanks for all the wonderful, tasty recipies.
That is a refreshing recipe for the summer.
Lovely and fresh with the zing of lime, yummo!
This is a pasta I would love for dinner too! Gotta look out for some gluten-free pastas to try.
Thanks Angie! Enjoy.
This meal looks so nutritious and satisfying! I love shrimp, and in pasta, you’ve got my mouth watering! I’ll have to check out the cookbooks. Have a great weekend!
Thanks Julia – you have a great weekend too!
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