Shrimp Pasta Salad

Whenever I want to make my summer pasta salads just a little more special, I transform it into a seafood salad by adding plump, juicy shrimp. But, I find that just adding shrimp to seasoned mayo and pasta doesn’t elevate the flavors enough.  So, to really pump up the zest, I combine the seasoned mayo with a spicy homemade Thousand Island dressing. Not only does it make the colors more vibrant, but it adds a little boldness to the dish, giving the shrimp the recognition it deserves. Whether serving as a cook-out side dish, or a weeknight main meal, this Shrimp Pasta Salad is sure to become a summertime favorite.

Chop celery and red onion. If using raw shrimp, peel, devein and cook shrimp.

Prepare Spicy Thousand Island Dressing:  In small bowl, combine mayonnaise, chili garlic sauce, Sriracha, ketchup and relish. Chill until ready to use.

Cook pasta according to package directions. The last 3 minutes, add peas to water.

Rinse in cold water and drain thoroughly. Transfer cooked pasta with peas to large serving bowl. Stir in cooked shrimp. 

In separate mixing bowl, combine 1 cup mayonnaise, Old Bay Seasoning, lemon juice and all of prepared Spicy Thousand Island Dressing. Whisk well to combine. 

Add as much, or as little, of the mayonnaise mixture to pasta as desired, stirring well to combine. Cover and refrigerate any remaining mayonnaise mixture. Chill pasta salad for several hours. As with any cold pasta salad, the pasta will absorb much of the dressing. Before serving pasta, add additional mayonnaise mixture to desired consistency.


Serve on a bed of lettuce.

SHRIMP PASTA SALAD
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 (16-ounce) package shell pasta
• 1-1/2 cups finely chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 2 pounds small shrimp, cooked
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Spicy Thousand Island Dressing:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 Tablespoons Sambal Oelek (chili garlic sauce)
• 1 Tablespoon Sriracha
• 1 Tablespoon drained relish
• 1 Tablespoon ketchup

DIRECTIONS:
1. Prepare Spicy Thousand Island Dressing:  In small bowl, combine mayonnaise, chili garlic sauce,
    Sriracha, ketchup and relish. Chill until ready to use.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions. The last 3 minutes, add peas to water.
3. Rinse in cold water and drain thoroughly. Transfer cooked pasta with peas to large bowl. Stir in
    cooked shrimp.
4. In separate mixing bowl, combine 1 cup mayonnaise, Old Bay Seasoning, lemon juice and all of
    prepared Spicy Thousand Island Dressing. Whisk well to combine.
5. Add as much, or as little, of the mayonnaise mixture to pasta as desired, stirring well to combine.
    Cover and refrigerate any remaining mayonnaise mixture. Chill pasta salad for several hours. As with
    any cold pasta salad, the pasta will absorb much of the dressing. Before serving pasta, add additional
    mayonnaise mixture to desired consistency.
6. Serve on a bed of lettuce.

Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad

Was April Fools’ Day rescheduled this year? After a week of temps in the high 80’s, we took a drastic tumble down to the 30’s last night. This recipe for pasta salad has as much of a contrast in temps as the current weather pattern. Imagine a nice cool summer macaroni salad, then pair it with the spicy heat of Buffalo wings. It’s kind of like a roller coaster for your palate. Savory pasta tossed with blue cheese dressing, hot sauce, celery, red onion and cooked chicken. Makes a perfect lunch, side dish, or party-pleasing take-a-along. This is another one of those super versatile dishes. You can cut back on the heat or kick it up a notch, add more veggies (or just change them up completely), substitute ranch dressing (if you’re not a fan of blue cheese), add blue cheese crumbles (or another cheese of your choice), and substitute rotisserie chicken (to save on time). If you love pasta and you love Buffalo chicken wings (and you love easy), this is the salad for you. This is what I call “summer comfort food.”

I usually oven “poach” my chicken breasts. The chicken always comes out moist and tender, without drying out. I just season the breasts with a sprinkling of dried thyme, dried rosemary, salt and pepper; add about 1/2-inch of water to the baking dish, cover, and bake at 375° F. until done. 

However, with this recipe, you can substitute cut-up rotisserie chicken, leftover chicken, grilled chicken strips, whatever works best for you. 

Dice chicken.

Chop celery and onion (and any other veggies you want to include).

Meanwhile, prepare pasta according to package directions. Rinse under cold water and drain thoroughly.

In bowl, combine the whole jar of blue cheese dressing with hot sauce. I added 1 cup of hot sauce, which I felt was a perfect balance of heat for us. But again, adjust the heat to your liking. Fire it up, or cool it down! Similar recipes online call for “3/4 of a bottle of Frank’s Hot Sauce,” but they don’t specify bottle size. I’m assuming a standard bottle size is 12-ounces, so you would use 9 ounces of hot sauce if that’s the case. But, precision is not at all necessary here. Start with 3/4 cup, taste, then add as much as you want.

In large bowl, combine cooked pasta, dressing/hot sauce mixture, celery, onion and diced chicken. Stir well to incorporate all ingredients. Add salt and pepper, to taste. 

Cover and chill until ready to serve.

BUFFALO CHICKEN PASTA SALAD
Source:  Simply Alli
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 box (16-ounces) Rotini pasta (or pasta of your choice)
• 1 jar (12-ounces) Marie’s Blue Cheese Salad Dressing, or substitute equal amount of Ranch Dressing
• 1 to 1-1/4 cups Hot sauce, whatever brand you prefer (or adjust amount to your taste)
• 2 to 3 cooked chicken breasts, diced (or adjust amount to your liking)
• 5 to 6 stalks celery, chopped
• 1/2 to 1 whole red onion, chopped (or adjust amount to your taste)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse under cold water. Drain thoroughly.
2. In bowl, combine jar of salad dressing with hot sauce. Start with 3/4 to 1 cup of hot sauce, then
    adjust to taste.
3. In large bowl, combine pasta, dressing mixture, celery, onions and diced chicken. Mix thoroughly to
    combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Tex Mex Pasta Salad

 

This Tex Mex Pasta Salad would make an easy, flavorful addition to any picnic, BBQ or potluck. It’s colorful, fresh tasting, and includes all the vibrant ingredients you would expect from a pasta salad with a southwest flair. Cooked pasta mixed with black beans, corn, onion, red pepper, green pepper, salsa, black olives and cilantro, then dressed with a blend of mayo, sour cream, taco seasoning, cumin and lime juice. (You can easily lighten it up by substituting low fat mayo and nonfat sour cream.) Packed with zest, rather than spicy heat, this salad really delivers on taste. This creative combination of flavors will have everyone asking, “Who made the salad?”

Cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse thoroughly with cold water. Drain well.
While pasta is cooking, prep the veggies. Chop onion, red pepper, green pepper and cilantro. Rinse and drain black beans.

Prepare dressing. In small bowl, combine mayo, sour cream, taco seasoning, cumin and lime juice. Mix well to thoroughly combine.

In large bowl, add well drained pasta.

Add black beans, corn, onion, red pepper, salsa, black olives and cilantro. Mix well to combine. 

Add dressing. 

Stir well to combine.

Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving.

TEX MEX PASTA SALAD
Source: Food.com
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 (16-ounce) box pasta, elbows, shells, or rotini (any pasta will do)
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1-1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
• 1 cup onion, chopped fine
• 1 red pepper, chopped fine
• 1 green pepper, chopped fine
• 1/2 cup salsa, hot or mild (your choice)
• 1/2 cup sliced black olives
• 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro

Dressing:

• 1 cup mayonnaise, regular or light
• 1/2 cup sour cream, regular or nonfat
• 1 (1-1/2 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• Juice of one lime

DIRECTIONS:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse thoroughly with cold water. Drain well.
2. Prepare dressing. In small bowl, combine mayo, sour cream, taco seasoning, cumin and lime juice. Mix
    well to thoroughly combine.
3. In large bowl, add well drained pasta, black beans, corn, onion, red pepper, salsa, black olives and
    cilantro. Mix well to combine. Add dressing. Stir well to combine.
4. Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving.

Tortellini Salad

This recipe was my very first “pin” when I signed up for Pinterest. Of course, I had every intention of trying it long before now. But, you know how it goes, life happens and procrastination wins. This past weekend, I was getting a little “spring fever,” with the higher temps we had, and thought a pasta salad would hit the spot. Then a “light flickered on” in my head (yes, that happens, occasionally); and I suddenly remembered this rather moldy dated pin. It seems like I’ve been on a real tortellini kick lately; can’t help it, the combination of pasta and cheese beckons me. "I can resist everything except temptation" - [Quote from: Oscar Wilde Lady Windermere's Fan). Meanwhile, back in the kitchen, I finally set about the task of preparing this salad that lured me so long ago. Preparation was quick and easy, a no-brainer! After refrigerating it for the recommended 1 hour “melding” period, Mike and I gave it our official taste test. Simultaneously, we both uttered; “Refreshing!” Actually, it’s addictively refreshing. The basil just shines in this dish (it wouldn't be the same without it). Something tells me this tortellini salad is going to frequent our summer cookouts.

Preliminary Prep: Cube mozzarella. Chop pepperoni. Cut cherry tomatoes in half. Chop basil.

Cook tortellini according to package directions; drain. Rinse with cold water, and drain again. Transfer “well drained” cooked tortellini to a large bowl.

Add remaining ingredients. Toss well. 

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

TORTELLINI SALAD
Source: Dream Home Cooking Girl
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 (20-ounce) package refrigerated cheese tortellini
• 8-ounces fresh mozzarella, cubed
• 1 cup pepperoni, chopped
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half
• 1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 2/3 cup Caesar salad dressing
• Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook tortellini according to package directions; drain and rinse with cold water and drain again.  
2. Transfer cooked tortellini to a large bowl and add remaining ingredients. Toss well.  
3. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

Suddenly Salad Ranch and Bacon Copycat

When Suddenly Salad came out with their Ranch and Bacon flavor, I was a big fan. But, it got to be expensive, especially since you only get 7.5 ounces in a box. Turns out, it’s so much cheaper, and just as easy, to make it yourself; and it tastes so much better than the boxed version. Pasta salads don’t have to be just for summer cookouts, it makes a great side dish any time of the year. Since it feeds a crowd, it’s ideal for those holiday and Super Bowl parties.

Don’t forget to check out my Facebook page for the New Year countdown of Melding Magic’s top 10 most viewed recipes for 2013. (If you have not already done so, I would be so thrilled if you shared your FB love by “liking” my page.)

Cook bacon until crisp. When cool, crumble and set aside. 

If using fresh onion (instead of onion powder), finely chop and set aside.

In large pot, bring water to a rolling boil, add pasta.

After 5 minutes, add shredded carrots and peas to water. Cook for additional 5 minutes, or until pasta is tender.

Put pasta and veggies in colander. Rinse with cold water. Drain well. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.

In medium bowl, combine dry Ranch dressing, mayonnaise, onion powder (or fresh chopped onions) and milk. Mix well.

Add dressing mixture to pasta and veggies. Mix well to thoroughly combine. Add crumbled bacon. Stir well.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Stir before serving. If too dry (as mayonnaise-based pasta salads seem to soak up the mayo after refrigeration), add more mayonnaise, or milk, and stir again to thoroughly incorporate. 

SUDDENLY SALAD RANCH AND BACON COPYCAT
Source: Adapted from Food.com
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 box (16 ounces) dry shell pasta
• 2 cups frozen petite peas (or substitute fresh)
• 1-1/2 cups Mayonnaise - do not use Miracle Whip
• 1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix        
• 1 cup shredded carrots, chopped slightly if shreds are too large
• 1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder (or substitute 1 small onion, chopped fine)
• 2 Tablespoons milk, plus more if needed

DIRECTIONS:
1. Bring water to rolling boil, add pasta.
2. After 5 minutes, add shredded carrots and peas to water. Cook for additional 5 minutes, or until pasta
    is tender.
3. Place pasta and vegetables in colander. Rinse with cold water. Drain well. Transfer to a large bowl. Set
    aside.
4. In medium bowl, combine dry Ranch dressing, mayonnaise, onion powder (or fresh onion) and milk.
    Mix well.
5. Add dressing mix to pasta and vegetables. Mix well. Add crumbled bacon. Mix well to combine.
6. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
7. Stir before serving. (If necessary, freshen up salad by adding more mayonnaise or milk. Stir well to
    combine.)

Deviled Egg Salad

Every so often Mike will shuffle up to me, with a pleading “puppy dog” look on his face and ask, “Will you do me a big favor?” Right away, I know what he’s craving. He wants me to whip him up a batch of egg salad. Don’t get me wrong, egg salad is simple enough to make. I have no problem making it for him anytime he wants it; but, I need to do it with a clothespin on my nose. There is something about the smell of hard boiled eggs that I find truly unpleasant. The odor just seems to linger around the house for what seems like forever. However, I always cave in when hubby requests egg salad. After all, Mike is more than patient when it comes to being my “official” taste tester. The last few times I made this, Mike kept asking, “did you put this recipe up on the blog, yet?” I kept responding, “no, it’s just egg salad.” He firmly disagreed, and told me I needed to share this recipe. Actually, this has all the same ingredients I’ve used in deviled eggs for years, and they’ve always been a hit; so maybe Mike is right! I think of it as just eggs, but the seasoning does make all the difference; and it's versatile enough to adapt to your preferences.

The number of eggs in this recipe is going to seem weird. That's because, last time I made this, I just used up what we had left in the house. Normally, I would use a dozen eggs; but I only had 9 on-hand that day, so I adapted the seasoning for that quantity of eggs.

Place eggs in pot of cold water. Add 1 teaspoon salt to the water. Bring to a rolling boil, continue boiling for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 12 minutes. Drain hot water from pot and continue to add cold water to pot until water is completely cool, or add ice cubes to water, to quickly cool. (Actually, some cooks say after the water boils, you can then cover and let stand, off the heat, for 12 to 15 minutes and get the same results. I'm sure that would work fine, as well. I prefer to let it boil for a few minutes longer, just to be on the safe side.) With either method, the yolk will be nice and yellow, without the grayish shadow around the edges of the yolk, that results from over-cooking.

Peel eggs. The easiest way to peel the eggs is to firmly tap each end of the egg on a hard surface (such as the counter top), to crack the shell. You can also roll the egg on the counter top to crack the shell. Begin peeling the egg by starting at the wide end of the egg, which is where there is an air pocket, an easy access point. Using the side of your thumb, remove both the shell and the white, filmy membrane just beneath the shell. Rinse the eggs under cool water to remove any shell residue. Then wipe dry with a paper towel.

Chop the eggs. An egg slicer works best for this. Put eggs in medium size bowl. Add mayonnaise. Start with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of mayonnaise, then add more as needed, or until desired consistency. Add spices. Stir well to combine. Taste. Add more mayonnaise, or spices, as needed.

There are so many other variations for this recipe. Try adding dill, or replacing the dry mustard with Dijon mustard. Some cooks add relish, or fresh celery (instead of the celery seed), or green onions (instead of onion powder). I've even heard of chopped olives being added. Replace some of the mayonnaise with Greek yogurt, to lighten up the dish. Or, add a little hot sauce to spice it up a bit. This recipe is the way Mike likes it best; but it's versatile enough to tweak to your personal preference.

Make a sandwich, wrap, or serve on crackers. Garnish with lettuce and crumbled bacon, and even a little parsley, if desired. 

DEVILED EGG SALAD
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 9 eggs
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/8 teaspoon celery seed, plus a pinch
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, plus a pinch
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• Cooked, crumbled bacon, for garnish, if desired
• Lettuce leaves, for garnish, if desired
• Parsley, for garnish, if desired

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place eggs in pot of cold water. Add 1 teaspoon salt to the water. Bring to a rolling boil, continue
    boiling for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 12 minutes. Drain hot water from pot
    and continue to add cold water to pot until water is completely cool, or add ice cubes to water, to
    quickly cool. Peel eggs. Rinse under cool water to remove any shell residue. Dry with paper towel.
2. Chop eggs. An egg slicer works best. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup mayonnaise to eggs. Add spices. Stir to
    combine. Add more mayonnaise, as needed. Taste. Adjust seasonings, as desired.
3. Garnish with crumbled bacon, lettuce and parsley, if desired.
4. Serve in wraps for a brunch, on crackers as an appetizer, or on toast for lunch.

Note: To lighten up the recipe, substitute some of the mayonnaise with Greek yogurt.

Variations:  Add dill; green onions, Dijon mustard (instead of dry mustard), celery (instead of celery seed), relish, chopped olives, etc.