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Easy Creamy Crab Pasta Salad Recipe

Easy Creamy Crab Pasta Salad

A creamy chilled pasta salad made with imitation crab, rotini, peas, crisp vegetables, and a lemon-dill mayonnaise dressing. It makes about 8 servings and is best after at least 1 hour of refrigeration.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 1 minute
Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients
  

Pasta and Salad
  • 12 ounces Rotini or other short pasta
  • 12 ounces Imitation crabmeat, thawed and cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1 cup Frozen peas, thawed
  • 1/2 cup Finely chopped celery
  • 1/2 cup Finely chopped red bell pepper
  • 1/3 cup Thinly sliced green onions
Creamy Dressing
  • 1 cup Mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup Sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon Fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon Dried dill weed
  • 1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon, plus more for pasta water Salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon Black pepper

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the rotini according to the package directions until just tender, usually 8–10 minutes, then drain and rinse under cold water until cool.
  2. Drain the pasta very thoroughly so excess water does not thin the dressing. Let it sit in the colander for a minute or two while you prepare the creamy mixture.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, dried dill, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper until smooth and evenly combined.
  4. Add the cooled pasta, imitation crabmeat, thawed peas, celery, red bell pepper, and green onions to the dressing. Fold gently with a large spatula so the ingredients are coated without breaking up the crab too much.
  5. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the salad for at least 1 hour before serving. Stir well just before serving, then taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Notes

Slightly firm pasta holds its texture best after chilling. Reserve a few tablespoons of dressing and stir it in before serving if the salad thickens in the refrigerator. Keep the salad at 40°F/4°C or colder, and do not leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or more than 1 hour in hot conditions.