Description
This Crab Pasta Salad is a refreshing and flavorful dish perfect for warm weather meals or potlucks. Featuring tender small shell pasta, tender imitation crab meat, and a zesty dressing made with mayonnaise, lemon juice, and Old Bay seasoning, this salad is enhanced with fresh dill, crunchy celery, red and green onions, pickles, and sweet thawed peas. It is easy to prepare, requires chilling for flavors to meld, and is served cold, making it a delightful and satisfying meal or side dish.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Pasta
- 12 ounces small shell pasta
Dressing
- 1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
- 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- 1/3 cup dill pickles, finely chopped
Salad Mix
- 12 ounces imitation crab meat, chopped or flaked
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the small shell pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Drain the pasta and rinse it thoroughly with cold water to stop the cooking process and cool it down. Set aside.
- Make Dressing: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, fresh lemon juice, garlic powder, Old Bay seasoning, salt, and black pepper until fully blended. Stir in the chopped fresh dill and finely chopped dill pickles, ensuring the dressing is uniform and flavorful.
- Combine Salad Ingredients: Place the cooled pasta into a large mixing bowl. Add the chopped or flaked imitation crab meat, diced celery, finely chopped red onion, thinly sliced green onions, and thawed peas.
- Toss Salad: Pour the prepared dressing over the pasta and seafood mixture. Gently fold all the ingredients together until evenly coated with the dressing.
- Chill and Serve: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate the salad for at least 1-2 hours, or preferably overnight, to allow the flavors to meld and the salad to chill thoroughly. Before serving, stir the salad to redistribute any settled dressing. Serve cold and enjoy.
Notes
- For best flavor, allow the salad to chill overnight.
- You can substitute real crab meat for imitation crab if desired.
- Adjust the amount of Old Bay seasoning to taste for more or less spice.
- This salad can be made a day ahead to save time.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 700mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
