Recipe: Stan's Shrimp and Pasta Salad

Stan's Shrimp and Pasta Salad
rec.food.recipes/Stan DeBoer/2001

This is a colorful, and tasty summertime dish. It is best prepared 2 to 24 hours in advance and stored in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve it.

There are two different ways I prepare this dish. For two to four people I serve the shrimp pasta salad on a bed of lettuce, top with bean sprouts, and lay a few white asparagus spears on the side. For large groups or buffet style, I do not use the lettuce, bean sprouts, or asparagus, but I add another package of twirls pasta, another can of shrimp, and a little more dressing.

1 (12 oz) package rainbow twirls pasta
1 can baby corn, drained
1 can large black olives, drained
1 can garbanzo beans/chick peas, rinsed and drained
1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained
3 small cans shrimp, medium or large size, drained
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon McCormick Italian seasoning
1/4 cup chopped scallions/green onions
1/4 cup chopped young celery
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 medium or large tomato, diced
1 can white asparagus, drained
bean or alfalfa sprouts
fresh leaf or iceberg lettuce
Newman's own olive oil and vinegar salad dressing

Cook the pasta until it is just done. You do not want to overcook the pasta for this dish. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to make pasta firm. Add olives, baby corn, garbanzo beans, water chestnuts, scallions, celery, green pepper, and salad dressing. Mix. As gentle as possible, mix in the tomatoes, shrimp and the Italian seasoning. Cover and refrigerate.