Easy-Peasy Grilled Shrimp Pasta Salad

Cook the pasta as instructed on the package. While it cooks, peel and devein the shrimp. (I used 31-40 count size. If you use larger shrimp, you may want to cut them into pieces AFTER grilling.)

Marinate shrimp in the Italian salad dressing (in the refrigerator) while the pasta cooks and you chop everything else. You might not need a whole cup.

In a large bowl, place the following ingredients:

cucumber, peeled and sliced
grape tomatoes (cut in half or leave whole)
baby carrots, sliced into small pieces
onion, finely sliced or diced (adjust amount to your liking)

When the pasta is cooked, rinse it thoroughly under cold water. The colder it is, the better. I often throw some ice cubes into the colander as it drains to help cool it even more.

Grill shrimp until they are opaque (maybe 5 minutes; longer if using larger shrimp). Cool shrimp thoroughly.

Add well-drained pasta (first, check for ice cubes that may not have melted completely) to the large bowl.

Pour peppercorn ranch dressing into the bowl and mix well using a large spatula. Add cheese and shrimp, then stir again. You may use more or less salad dressing if you like.

Chill for another 15-30 minutes if necessary. It doesn’t have to be ice-cold, but you don’t want to serve it at room temperature either.

Put onto a plate and serve. It’s fine by itself as a hearty meal for two people. If you need to feed more people, you could probably get four servings out of it if you serve it with some fresh-baked bread.