CAJUN SHRIMP PASTA SALAD WITH ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE

CAJUN SHRIMP PASTA SALAD WITH ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE image

Yield Serves 6

Number Of Ingredients 14

1 yellow pepper, diced
1 Vidalia onion, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, cleaned and diced [include the leaves]
1 12 oz. can of Budweiser beer
2 teaspoons Old Bay
1 lb 21 -25 shrimp
1 15 oz. bag frozen cheese tortellini
2 Andouille sausages, grilled and diced
6 - 8 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, rough-chopped
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme
coarse salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 cup Hellmann's mayonnaise OR 1/2 cup red wine vinegar combined with 3/4 extra virgin olive oil

Steps:

Place the diced yellow pepper, diced onion and diced celery in a fine-sieve collander and set aside. Fill a large pot with enough fresh cold water to allow the addition of the beer. Pour the beer into the water and season liberally with coarse salt, fresh ground black pepper and the Old Bay. Bring to a boil. Add the shrimp and allow to steep until the shrimp is opaque, 3 minutes. Pour the cooked shrimp and shrimp water through the collander over the diced vegetables. Fill the pot with cold water, season with salt and bring to the boil. Meanwhile, peel the shrimp and cut into thirds. Put the cut shrimp, vegetables and diced sausage into a large bowl. Add the chopped sun-dried tomato, dried thyme salt and pepper. Add the frozen pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain; rinse under cold running water. Drain well. Add the pasta to the shrimp mixture and stir to combine. Dress with the Hellmann's mayonnaise OR the oil and vinegar mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refigerate 2 to 4 hours to allow the flavors to marry.