Description
This Imitation Crab Pasta Salad Recipe is cool, creamy, and delicious. It's easy to make-ahead and filled with chunks of yummy crab meat.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 lb. dry pasta (I usually use bowtie or rotini)
- 12 - 16 oz. imitation crab, torn into small pieces
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt (I use Lawry's)
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 2 Tbsp. sugar (optional, good with or without)
- Salt & Pepper, to taste + for pasta water
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced (optional)
Instructions
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- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1-2 tablespoons of salt.
- Add the dry pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions (usually 10-12 minutes).
- Rinse with cold water, drain, and set aside to completely cool.
- While the pasta is cooking, tear or cut the imitation crab meat into bite-size pieces.
- In a very large bowl, combine the crab meat, mayonnaise, buttermilk, garlic, lemon juice, and seasonings.
- Mix together until well combined.
- Add the cooled pasta and toss/mix until well-coated. See the tips below if your pasta is not cooled.
- Garnish with green onions (if desired)
- Chill for at least one hour - up to overnight. Toss again before serving.
Notes
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- First, this is a big batch. Be sure to grab a very large bowl to mix it up! It's usually enough for my family of 8 to have lunch (we usually add fruit or bread or both as side dishes).
- If you plan to eat this pasta immediately or the pasta is not cooled completely, I recommend draining the hot pasta, then immediately placing it in an ice bath for 2-3 minutes, then draining again to completely cool it down before adding it to the crab mixture.
- If you don't have buttermilk on hand, use this substitution. I've done it many, many times and nobody ever comments about the pasta salad tasting different.
- I don't eat raw onions. Ever. And I mean never EVER. Green or otherwise. Therefore, I never use them in this recipe. But if you like them, go ahead and ruin your pasta salad...I mean, add them to your pasta salad and enjoy. I was just kidding. About ruining it. Maybe. The bottom line is, the original recipe given to me did include them if that's something you like. But I assure you it's 1000% delicious sans onion.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cooling Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 12 mins
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
