Shrimp Pasta Salad

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I LOVE chopping things; I know, that’s unusual. As a consequence, I often end up chopping way more things that I actually need. Such was the case when I made shrimp salad earlier in the week. There was no way that I was going to let any of those ingredients, including that lovely fresh dill, go to waste, so I decided to put them together with more shrimp and add pasta, thereby creating a shrimp macaroni salad. If you love shrimp salad, you are going to love this. It kicks all other pasta salads right to the curb…or should I say shore?

Shrimp Pasta Salad

Salad:
6 oz. medium shell pasta
6 oz. shrimp, cooked and cooled
½ c. celery, finely diced
¼ c. red onion, finely diced
¼ c. Melissa’s fresh dill, chopped fine
1 T. capers, drained
½ cup frozen peas, thawed

Dressing:
¾ c. Duke’s mayonnaise
1 t. Dijon mustard
1 t. cocktail sauce
½ t. Worcestershire sauce
¼ t. Old Bay
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and cool. In a large mixing bowl, toss together all salad ingredients.

In a small bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients. Pour dressing over salad, and fold together until coated. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

 

Mexican Street Corn Macaroni Salad

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Last week I mentioned my obsession with corn. That obsession continues, with corn in all forms. I just discovered that I could have a box of local decorative goodies delivered to my home including mini pumpkins, gourds, and Indian corn! How exciting is that? To celebrate, I decided to use [edible] corn in this delicious Mexican Street Corn Macaroni Salad. Unique and flavorful, fans of Mexican street corn are going to love you for making this. Word to the wise, either serve it immediately, or, if you want to make it ahead, do not combine the dressing with the pasta or it will absorb it all and your salad will be dry. To keep it creamy, add it together just before serving.

Mexican Street Corn Macaroni Salad

 8 oz. elbow macaroni, cooked, drained, and cooled

1 c. canned corn, drained

½ c. feta cheese, crumbled

2 T. finely chopped parsley, plus more for garnish*

⅓ c. sour cream

¼ c. mayonnaise

¼ t. chili powder

¼ t. onion powder

¼ t. salt

Few gratings freshly ground black pepper

Pinch garlic powder

Pinch smoked paprika

Pinch cumin

1 T. fresh lime juice

1 t. lime zest

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, chili powder, onion powder, salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder, and lime juice.

 Add the pasta, corn, parsley, and lime zest. Toss to coat.

 Next, add ¼ cup of the feta. Gently toss into the pasta mixture. Transfer to serving dish. Top with remaining feta and more parsley. Serve.

 If you prefer to serve later, keep dressing separate from the pasta mixture and combine just before serving in a festive bowl.

 *You can use cilantro if you prefer.