Smoky Mountain Shrimp and Pasta Salad

This has to be one of the best summertime pasta salads!  It does not contain mayonnaise and it's not oily. 

This pasta salad has a fresh clean taste and is perfect for picnics and camping trips.  We even took it with us this past weekend for a day of fishing and tubing on Douglas Lake.

1/2 half each red and yellow bell peppers, diced
2 shallots or 1 small red onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, divided
6 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons white Balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 lb. 26/30 shrimp, peeled and deveined
Non-stick Cooking Spray
3 green onions, thinly sliced
8 ounces rotini pasta, cooked al dente
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Cook pasta to al dente, drain cover and set aside.

Heat grill to medium-high.

Combine the chopped bell peppers, onion, 2 of the sliced garlic cloves in a medium bowl.  Drizzle about 4 tablespoons of the olive oil over the peppers and onions.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Fold all together to thoroughly blend.. Set aside.

In another medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, the smoked paprika and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Remove half of the dressing from the bowl and set aside.  Add the shrimp to the remaining dressing and toss to combine.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Place grill skillet with small holes or a mesh bowl made for the grill on the pre-heated grill.  Spray the inside of the skillet or bowl with the non-stick cooking spray and allow to preheat on the grill for about 5 minutes. Place the bell pepper/onion mixture in the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.  then add the sliced green onions and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
Place a grill pan back on the grill and spray again with non-stick cooking spray and allow to preheat for another 5 minutes. Add the shrimp to the pan and cook for about 5 to 7  minutes, turning as little as possible to achieve a nice sear on the shrimp. Once the shrimp have turned pink remove from grill and add to the bowl with the reserved pepper and onions.

Add the pasta and parsley to the bowl and gently toss to combine.  Drizzle the reserved dressing over the contents in the bowl and toss again to coat the pasta and shrimp.

This dish can be served warm or you can cover and refrigerate until you're ready to serve.





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