Looking for a light pasta salad, I decided to use orzo (rice-shaped pasta) instead of the thicker short cut pastas. It makes a light version of a traditional pasta salad.
I like to keep a bag of peeled, frozen shrimp on hand for quick dinners. They can be defrosted in a bowl of cold water in about 5 minutes and take an even shorter time to cook. Follow the recipe below for a never-fail-method for cooking shrimp. They turn out plump and juicy every time.
Helpful Hints:
- You can buy cooked shrimp instead of raw shrimp. Just add it to the other ingredients.
- You can use other vegetables than the ones in the recipe. Use the recipe amounts as a guide.
- Find Old Bay seasoning in the spice section of the market. Smoked paprika works as a substitution.
- An easy way to chop chives is to cut them with a scissors.
Summer Shrimp Pasta Salad
Yield 2 servings. Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer.
1/4 pound orzo
3/4 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons warm water
1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 cups zucchini (cut into 1/2-inch cubes)
1 cup yellow, red or orange bell pepper (cut into 1/2-inch pieces)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups arugula leaves
2 tablespoons chopped chives
Place a large saucepan 3/4 filled with water on to boil for the orzo. When the water is boiling, add the orzo, stir and boil 8 minutes. Drain.
