Tasty Crab Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 12 oz rotini pasta
- 1 tsp salt (for pasta water)
- 1 lb imitation crab meat, roughly chopped
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced small
- 1/3 cup red onion, diced small
- 2 stalks celery, sliced thin
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook rotini according to package directions until just tender. Drain and rinse under cold water until completely cooled. Let sit in colander a few minutes to drain well.
- While pasta cooks, roughly chop the crab meat and dice all vegetables. Add them to a large mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, Old Bay seasoning, and garlic powder. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
- Add the cooled pasta to the bowl with crab and vegetables. Pour dressing over everything and fold gently to combine without breaking up the crab pieces.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. One hour is better.
- Stir gently before serving. Taste and adjust seasoning or lemon juice as needed. Serve cold.
Notes
Always cool your pasta completely before adding the dressing — warm pasta breaks mayo-based dressings and turns the whole salad greasy. Cold rinse, drain well, then mix.