Crab Pasta Salad

The Best Crab Pasta Salad!

Creamy pasta salads can be hard to get right, in my experience. The dressing can be one note (and that note is mayo). Often, the other ingredients are overwhelmed and weighed down by the heavy dressing.

This crab pasta salad is different, though. For the dressing, I use a combination of Greek yogurt and mayonnaise, then add a generous amount of fresh lemon juice to brighten up the flavor, along with lots of Old Bay seasoning and dill. It’s so tasty and, of course, Old Bay and lemon both pair well with the crab meat.

In addition to the crab and pasta, we’ve got crisp celery and onion, peas, and red bell pepper to add color, nutrition, and flavor to the mix. The combination makes for a surprisingly vibrant creamy pasta salad recipe!

Why You Will Love Crab Pasta Salad

The perfect combination of textures. The tender, flaky crab meat pairs perfectly with the crunchy vegetables, creamy dressing, and al dente pasta shells. If you’re a texture person, this crab pasta salad is a treat!

A hit however you serve it. This is the kind of dish you bring to a potluck or a summer picnic, and everyone will request the recipe. It also has all the satisfaction of a main dish to enjoy as an easy weeknight dinner or a fabulous meal prep lunch. And that’s how I’ve been enjoying it! Like similar pasta salad recipes, this one’s great as a meal prep lunch.

Easy to prepare ahead of time. And speaking of meal prep, you can easily make this crab pasta salad in advance since it tastes even better after chilling in the fridge.

Recipe Tips

↬ Don’t overcook the pasta. Make sure to cook the pasta to al dente as it will hold its shape better and provide the right texture for the salad. Overcooked pasta can become mushy or even start breaking apart once it’s mixed with the dressing.

↬ Chill for maximum flavor. Allowing the pasta salad to chill for at least an hour ensures all the flavors blend together beautifully. Don’t skip this step! We taste-tested the salad immediately and after it was chilled to compare, and the flavor was noticeably better after the salad was chilled.

↬ Balance the seasoning. Taste the dressing before mixing it with the other ingredients, and adjust it by adding more Old Bay seasoning, lemon juice, salt, to taste. I usually taste the salad again after I add the dressing, just to make sure everything is balanced and flavorful.

Ingredients

1 16 oz medium pasta shells (or other short pasta shape)
¾ cup plain Greek yogurt
¾ cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1 tsp dried dill
16 oz cooked crab, or imitation crab meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
1½ 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.
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.
To the same bowl, add the cooled pasta, crab, celery, peas, bell pepper, and red onion.
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.

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.

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