Confetti Shrimp Cocktail Pasta Salad

Ingredients

• 13 ounces spiral pasta
• 1 ripe avocado – peeled, pitted and chopped
• 2 teaspoons lime juice
• 1 pound cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped orange bell pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable juice cocktail
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; cook the pasta at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes; drain and rinse under cold water until chilled.

Place avocado into a bowl and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons lime juice to prevent browning; cover and refrigerate.

Toss cooked pasta, shrimp, tomatoes, green onions, red onion, green, red, yellow, and orange bell peppers, and cilantro in a large salad bowl until thoroughly combined.

Pour vegetable juice cocktail, olive oil, ketchup, and 1/4 cup lime juice into a food processor; add horseradish, jalapeno pepper, hot pepper sauce, salt, garlic, and black pepper. Pulse a few times to mix the dressing, then process until jalapeno and garlic are chopped very small, about 30 seconds. Pour dressing over pasta salad and stir to combine. Cover salad and chill thoroughly in refrigerator, 2 to 3 hours; just before serving, gently stir in avocado.