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A close-up of a pasta salad with shell pasta, imitation crab meat, green peas, and diced red onion in a creamy dressing.
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5 from 1 vote

Crab Pasta Salad

A creamy, lemony Old Bay dressing makes this crab pasta salad a standout, but it’s the tender crab meat, veggies, and pasta shells that make it a super satisfying lunch! 
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Chilling Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Main Course, Salad, Seafood, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8
Author: Rachel Gurk

Ingredients

  • 1 pkg. (16 oz.) medium pasta shells (or other short pasta shape)
  • ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt
  • ¾ cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon dried dill
  • 16 oz. cooked crab or imitation crab meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 ½ cups celery, finely chopped (3 stalks)
  • 1 cup frozen peas, thawed (place in strainer and run under hot water briefly to thaw)
  • 1 cup diced red bell pepper (1 bell pepper)
  • ½ cup red onion, finely chopped (¼ large onion)

Instructions

  • Fill a large pot with salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta and rinse under cold water until cooled.
    1 pkg. (16 oz.) medium pasta shells
  • In a large mixing bowl (you’ll eventually be adding all the ingredients to this bowl), whisk together Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, Old Bay seasoning, and dill. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed, with additional Old Bay, lemon juice, or dill.
    ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt, ¾ cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning, 1 teaspoon dried dill
  • To the same bowl, add the cooled pasta, crab, celery, peas, bell pepper, and red onion.
    16 oz. cooked crab or imitation crab meat, cut into bite-sized pieces, 1 ½ cups celery, finely chopped, 1 cup frozen peas, thawed, 1 cup diced red bell pepper, ½ cup red onion, finely chopped
  • Stir well to coat all ingredients with dressing. Taste the salad, and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
  • Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid; refrigerate the crab pasta salad for at least an hour before serving. Chilling the salad allows the flavors to blend together.

Video

Notes

  • Crab meat: I usually use flaked-style imitation crab. It's less expensive and keeps for a couple of months in the refrigerator if it's unopened (be sure to check the Use By date). Imitation crab meat is actually lower in sodium than real crab. Nutrition information was calculated using imitation crab meat.
  • Bell peppers: Feel free to use any color of bell pepper you prefer. Red, yellow, and orange have a similar flavor; green bell peppers aren't as sweet, and may be more pungent. 
  • Yield: This makes a big bowl of salad, about 14 cups (8 main course servings or 16 side servings). Feel free to make a half batch if you want. 
  • Storage: Keep crab salad refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Stir well before serving. If you bring the salad to a potluck or picnic, it should be discarded after 2 hours at room temperature. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1.75cups | Calories: 450kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 480mg | Potassium: 316mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 842IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 1mg

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