Description
A refreshing and flavorful Seafood Pasta Salad featuring tender shrimp and crab meat tossed with rotini pasta and a creamy, tangy dressing. Perfect for summer picnics or light meals, this chilled salad combines crunchy celery, sweet red bell pepper, and zesty Old Bay seasoning, garnished with fresh dill or parsley.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta and Seafood
- 8 oz rotini or elbow pasta
- ½ lb cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ½ lb imitation crab meat or lump crab meat, chopped
Vegetables
- 1 cup celery, finely chopped
- ½ cup red bell pepper, diced
- ¼ cup red onion, finely diced
Dressing
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill or parsley
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process and cool the pasta.
- Mix Seafood and Vegetables: In a large bowl, combine the cooked and cooled pasta, shrimp, crab meat, celery, red bell pepper, and red onion.
- Prepare Dressing: In a separate small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, Old Bay seasoning, salt, and pepper until smooth and well combined.
- Toss Salad: Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture and gently toss until everything is evenly coated with the creamy dressing.
- Chill Salad: Cover and refrigerate the salad for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld together and the salad to chill properly.
- Garnish and Serve: Before serving, stir the salad gently and garnish with chopped fresh dill or parsley. Serve cold for best flavor.
Notes
- You can use fresh or frozen seafood—just ensure it’s fully cooked and cooled before mixing.
- For a lighter version, substitute half of the mayonnaise with Greek yogurt.
