Vikki’s Creamy Ranch Shrimp Pasta Salad
Like shrimp? This cold pasta salad is always a hit at barbecues and cookouts. Living in Florida this can be almost every weekend. I wait for frozen shrimp to go on sale and stock up for this recipe.
Ingredients:
1 ½ pounds medium shrimp cooked, deveined and tails pieces off.
2 packets Dry Hidden Valley Ranch (get the one for dressing not dip)
16 oz. of sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup milk
1 ½ cups of frozen peas
1 ½ cups shredded carrot (I buy matchstick carrots)
1 red pepper, diced small
2 boxes bowtie pasta (Al Dente)
Paprika
Cook pasta according to box directions (don’t forget the salt), drain, run under cold water until pasta is cool. While pasta is cooking combine dry packet, sour cream, mayo and milk, stir until smooth. Take 10 shrimp and dice them, add them to sauce. Add remaining full shrimp. (I set aside a few to put on the top of the dish for presentation). Add peas, carrot, and red pepper, stir until all ingredients are coated. Add cooled pasta. Stir. Add paprika for color and decorative shrimp and dill if it is to your taste.
Notes:
I cook pasta al dente because it absorbs the sauce and gets more tender as it sits.
I never use small salad shrimp for this recipe, because they can’t be properly deveined they have a funky taste in my opinion, and folks love big, fat shrimp.
I add the peas while they are still frozen, they keep the pasta cold on the way to its destination and are thawed by the time the salad is served. If serving immediately allow peas to thaw before beginning.
I pack it to go to the cookout in those disposable baking pans with a lid so I don’t lose yet another large bowl to a friend. I will usually divide the recipe into two smaller pans so one can be set out to serve and the other tucked in the fridge or cooler until the first one runs out (It always runs out).
Whenever I ask what I can bring to a party, the resounding answer is always “Your shrimp pasta salad, of course”
