Description
A refreshing and creamy chilled pasta salad made with tender shrimp, sweet crab, crunchy vegetables, and a tangy lemon-mayo dressing. Perfect for lunches, potlucks, or light dinners.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces rotini or penne pasta
- 1 cup cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 cup crab meat
- 1/2 cup celery, chopped
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 cup red onion, diced
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt (or to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
Instructions
- Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water until cool. Drain well.
- Chop celery, halve cherry tomatoes, and dice red onion. Cut larger shrimp into bite-sized pieces if needed. Pick through crab meat to remove shell fragments.
- In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until smooth.
- Add cooled pasta, shrimp, crab, celery, tomatoes, and red onion. Gently toss until well coated.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Stir and adjust seasoning before serving.
Notes
- Use lump or claw crab meat for best flavor and texture.
- Rinse pasta to cool and prevent sticking for cold salad.
- Add herbs like dill or parsley for brightness.
- Substitute 1/4 cup mayo with plain yogurt for a lighter version.
- Stir before serving as dressing may settle during chilling.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: No-Cook (after boiling)
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 670mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 21g
- Cholesterol: 135mg
