Pasta salad gets a seafood twist in this hearty and flavorful Imitation Crab Pasta Salad. It’s full of fresh veggies, imitation crab meat, and shell pasta that’s coated with a deliciously seasoned dressing.
As I write this post, spring and summer are on the horizon, and I couldn’t be more excited for sunny, warm days and this PASTA SALAD! This recipe has been on my radar to test for a good while, and I’m so excited to finally share it.
This recipe was based on my Imitation Crab Salad and Classic Macaroni Salad, and the outcome was phenomenal. It’s a perfect make-ahead side dish for potlucks and summer cookouts!
Ingredients Needed
Here’s what you’ll need to make this salad:
- For the salad – Shell pasta, imitation crab meat, celery, red onion, red bell pepper, and frozen peas (that have been thawed).
- For the dressing – Mayonnaise, lemon juice, Old Bay Seasoning, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, sugar, and fresh dill.
I use the “flake style” imitation crab meat and slice it into bite-size pieces.
How to Make It
This salad comes together in just 20 minutes! To save time, I make the dressing first (be sure to cover and refrigerate until ready to use it); then I slice the veggies and imitation crab meat while the pasta cooks. Please see the recipe card towards the bottom for the full detailed instructions.
- Stir or whisk together the dressing ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
- In a very large mixing bowl, toss together the imitation crab, celery, red onion, bell pepper, and peas.
- Add the cooked, rinsed, and drained pasta and toss again.
- Add the dressing and gently stir to coat as evenly as possible.
Helpful Tips
- This recipe is best once it has been refrigerated for at least an hour to allow the flavors to meld.
- When adding the dressing, it may seem like there is a LOT of dressing! The pasta will absorb some of the dressing when the salad is refrigerated (which gives it even more flavor!).
- Stir before serving to redistribute the dressing in the salad.
Recipe Variations
- Feel free to adjust the seasonings in the dressing to your personal taste.
- Add heat by adding cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes.
- Swap out the shell pasta for another type of short pasta, such as macaroni.
Number of Servings
This recipe yields a whopping 16 cups – enough to serve a crowd!
More Pasta Salads
Imitation Crab Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 1 ¾ cups mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 ½ teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons granulated white sugar
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or 2 to 3 teaspoons dried dill
For the salad:
- 1 pound medium shells pasta
- 1 pound imitation crab meat flake style, cut into approximately 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup chopped celery
- ½ cup chopped red onion
- 1 medium red bell pepper seeded, cored, and chopped
- 1 cup frozen peas thawed
Instructions
- Prepare the dressing by stirring or whisking together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, Old Bay Seasoning, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, sugar, and dill in a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
- Begin cooking the pasta according to package directions. Once the pasta has cooked, drain in a colander and rinse well with cold water until all of the pasta has cooled.
- While the pasta is cooking, chop the vegetables and slice the imitation crab meat into bite-size pieces (about 1 inch).
- Toss together the imitation crab, celery, red onion, bell pepper, and peas in a very large mixing bowl. Add the drained and cooled pasta and toss again to combine.
- Add the dressing to the pasta mixture and gently stir to coat as evenly as possible.
- Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Stir before serving to redistribute the dressing.
Notes
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- When adding the dressing, it may seem like there is a LOT of dressing! The pasta will absorb some of the dressing when the salad is refrigerated.
Nutrition
If provided, nutritional info is a courtesy, is not guaranteed and should only be considered as a guideline.
Joanne Wilson
A comment on your dressing: WOW! I routinely do a pretty darn good basicmayo/vinegar/sugar/salt thing with an addition or two, but thought I would try yours. Totally delicious! Thanks!
Kim
Wow this is good!
I lowered the cals by using protein pasta, 1/2 light mayo and 1/2 plain Greek yogurt.
Excellent flavor combo!
Irene Pate
FABULOUS! I cannot tell you how many crab salad recipes I have tried and this one wins the prize. Wow! My husband raved about it. Overnight refrigeration really makes it better, if that is possible. I followed the recipe. Prior to refrigerating, I tasted the dressing and was concerned about the salt but, all was good at serving time and I did not salt the pasta.
Thank you, Irene – So happy to hear you and your husband enjoyed it. Thank you for the 5 star review!
Christine Bock
Love this. I used mini farfalle, and frozen peas and carrots. So good. Skipped the red pepper though, since my husband isn’t fond of them.
Melanie
This was fantastic, and I didn’t have lemon juice, celery, or peas! Making again today. We all loved it.
Thank you, Melanie – I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it!