Description
Crisp romaine lettuce mingles with succulent shrimp in this Caesar pasta salad, creating a light Mediterranean-inspired dish. Fresh parmesan and herbed croutons complete classic flavors you’ll savor eagerly.
Ingredients
Scale
- 250 g (8.8 oz) small dried pasta (lumachine)
- 100 g (3.5 oz) cooked, peeled shrimp
- 125 g (4.4 oz) mozzarella, diced
- 35 g (1.2 oz) grated parmesan
- 3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
- ½ red onion, finely sliced
- 100 g (3.5 oz) cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 tbsp chopped frozen parsley
- 40 g (1.4 oz) lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic
- 6 anchovy fillets in oil
- 20 g (0.7 oz) mustard
- 30 g (1 oz) olive oil
- 110 g (3.9 oz) light cream (4% fat)
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1 pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Pasta Preparation: Boil pasta in heavily salted water until achieving al dente perfection, then rapidly cool in an ice bath to preserve texture. Thoroughly drain and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Dressing Creation: Blend lemon juice, roasted garlic, anchovy paste, hardboiled egg, Parmesan, Dijon mustard, cracked pepper, sea salt, and heavy cream until transforming into a velvety, homogeneous sauce.
- Vegetable and Protein Composition: Meticulously dice yellow bell pepper, julienne red onion, halve cherry tomatoes, and finely chop fresh parsley. Cube mozzarella into precise pieces and slice most shrimp, reserving whole specimens for garnish.
- Ingredient Integration: Thoroughly combine pasta with prepared vegetables, mozzarella, parsley, and sliced shrimp, ensuring uniform distribution throughout the mixture.
- Dressing Application: Cascade the artisan Caesar dressing over the salad, gently folding to coat ingredients without compromising their structural integrity.
- Presentation and Chilling: Strategically position whole shrimp atop the salad for visual drama. Refrigerate for 60-90 minutes, allowing flavors to harmonize and develop complexity.
- Final Refinement: Prior to serving, delicately redistribute the dressing with a gentle toss, guaranteeing optimal flavor melding and consistent seasoning.
Notes
- Salting Pasta Water: Use generously salted water to enhance pasta’s natural flavor and ensure proper seasoning throughout the dish.
- Chill Pasta Quickly: Immediately transfer pasta to an ice bath after cooking to stop the cooking process and maintain a perfect al dente texture.
- Dressing Consistency: Blend Caesar dressing ingredients thoroughly to create a smooth, silky texture that coats ingredients evenly without clumping.
- Flavor Marination: Refrigerate the salad for 60-90 minutes to allow ingredients to mingle and develop a more complex, harmonious taste profile.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 410
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 220 mg