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A white bowl filled with Crab Pasta Salad—featuring pasta, diced crab sticks, celery, green onions, and peas—rests on a wooden surface beside a gold spoon and white napkin. Fresh vegetables appear in the background.

Crab Pasta Salad

This Crab Pasta Salad is a creamy, refreshing side dish made with tender pasta, crab meat, crisp vegetables, and a flavorful Old Bay dressing. Perfect for potlucks, cookouts, meal prep, and easy summer lunches.

Course desserts, Side Dish
Cuisine pasta
Keyword crab pasta salad
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients

  • 1 lb elbow macaroni
  • 8-16 oz imitation crab 8 ounce packs, 1 for less or 2 for more crab in the salad)
  • ½ cup frozen peas
  • ½ cup red onion diced
  • ½ cup celery diced
  • ½ cup red pepper diced
  • 1 tbsp dill
  • 2 tsp old bay
  • 1 ¾ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • juice 1 lemon
  • chives for garnish

Instructions

  1. Cook the pasta, according to box directions. Drain, rinse in cold water, and drain again.

  2. For the dressing, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, dill, old bay, salt, and pepper.

  3. Add the pasta to a large mixing bowl.

  4. Add the crab, peas, onion, celery, and bell pepper. Toss.

  5. Add the dressing, and fold together until the salad is well coated.

  6. Add additional salt and pepper, to taste.

  7. When serving, top with fresh chives.

Recipe Notes

Store leftover crab pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Stir before serving and add a spoonful of mayonnaise if needed to refresh the dressing.