Tag: pasta salad

Ingredients

• 1 pound of pasta (medium-large shells or rotini)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 pound small shrimp, peeled, cleaned and deveined, tails removed
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
• Sea salt, to taste (for shrimp and salad dressing)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup champagne vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon dried dill or 1 tablespoon fresh dill
• 1/4 cup fresh herbs, roughly chopped (tarragon, basil, parsley)
• 2 fresh sweet corn cobs or 1 cup frozen
• 1 cup English cucumber, diced
• 2 ribs celery, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup roasted red peppers, diced
• 2 lemon wedges, squeezed for garnish

Instructions

1. Cook pasta in salted boiling water according to package directions (usually about 9-11 minutes for al dente). Drain, rinse under cool water and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Slice scallions and cook until soft about 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high; add one more tablespoon of oil then add shrimp, red pepper flakes, Old Bay seasoning and sea salt; sauté together stirring constantly until shrimp are opaque, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and set pan aside to let shrimp mixture cool.
3. In a large mixing bowl add salt and pepper, vinegar, mustard, garlic, lemon juice and zest. Use the KitchenAid® 3-Speed Hand Blender with the whisk attachment to blend ingredients together and slowly pour in the olive oil in small amounts until the dressing is emulsified and mixed well. Chop the fresh herbs, mix into the Lemon-Herb dressing and set aside.
4. Prepare the fresh corn by grilling it – add a little olive oil, salt and pepper, then char it over a medium-high grill for about 15 minutes. Shuck the cooked kernels off the cob and set aside in a separate mixing bowl. If using frozen sweet corn, simply boil in 1-2 tablespoons of water in a small pot over medium-high for 3-4 minutes, then drain and place into a bowl, set aside.
5. Add the cucumbers and celery to the accompanying mixing bowl of the KitchenAid® 3-Speed Hand Blender, and pulse a few times until chopped into a small to medium dice. Chop each vegetable separately to avoid overfilling the blender bowl. Chop the roasted red pepper into medium diced pieces. Throw all the chopped veggies into a bowl and set aside.
6. Pour the cooked pasta, shrimp and scallion mixture, corn and all the prepped veggies into a large mixing bowl and add the Lemon-Herb dressing. Gently mix all the ingredients together with a large spoon. Garnish pasta salad with additional chopped herbs, fresh lemon juice and additional salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Cover the bowl in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator or cooler until ready to serve.