This Crab Pasta Salad is a family recipe, one of my favorites! Packed with veggies and delicious flavor, it’s a staple at summer BBQs! This crab pasta salad is made with Italian dressing and either Spike or Old Bay Seasoning.
It is made with imitation crab, though you could certainly substitute real crab meat int his pasta salad. The pasta shells work perfectly in this recipe, holding on to the sauce and making a great crab pasta salad recipe that you will want to make again and again.
Today my mom would have been 69 years old. And I’m sure that she would have loved me sharing that with the internets.
Or maybe at this point in her life, she would have been completely cool with it. She might have even worn it as a badge of honor.
My mom was diagnosed with fourth stage metastatic breast cancer when she was 57 years old. I was just shy of my 21st birthday. I remember vividly taking a walk with her in the brisk cold April Wisconsin weather just after she was diagnosed. I can remember the exact coat and hat she was wearing. Her doctors had told her to just go home and enjoy the last month of her life with her family. She was talking about fighting. She was talking in terms of years. And she was saying if she could just have two more years. She and I agreed that that would be amazing.
And then two years flew by.
I graduated college, started graduate school, bought a house, got engaged.
Two years wasn’t nearly enough. There was no time that would have been enough.
After I became pregnant with Gavin my mom told me all confession style that she had really wanted to live just to see me get pregnant. And then Gavin was here, and just hours later she made her exit. Like once she knew he and I were safe she could succumb and give her body some peace.
Regularly I think to myself, “Okay, now I really need my mom.” As if all the challenges that came before were just a rehearsal compared to this current challenge. I mean, I’m totally kidding myself. There was nothing about Elliot that was a dress rehearsal. It’s just that when you are in the current challenge, and the past is the past . . . you get it.
I’ve been having those moments recently. The “Okay, now I really need my mom,” moments. And I just keep thinking that if I can’t have her here, the least I can do for myself is try to be the kid that she would have been proud to have raised. Scratch that. My mom would never have wanted to take credit for my poise, strength, patience with my screaming kids, etc. . . . I want to be the kid that I feel like lives up to the amazing mom that Betty was.
So that was kind of intense for a Friday morning, huh?
Let’s have some Crab Pasta Salad, shall we?
This was one of my mom’s recipes and I LOVE it. It was one of those recipes that meant summer to me. One of those recipes that I would just stand in the door of the fridge and eat out of the container with a fork when I was a teenager, until my mom would walk in and say, “Lisa. Just put some in a bowl for yourself.” Sooooooooo good!
One of the things you are going to love about this recipe is that it is super forgiving. My mom didn’t even use a recipe. The recipe I have from her is like, “a generous squirt of mustard.” So if you don’t really like that much dressing on your pasta salads, just cut back on the yogurt. Don’t like olives? Leave ’em out. No celery? Add some frozen peas instead. You get it.
Make it for your summer picnics and love it year after year!
If you make this recipe leave me a comment letting me know what you think!
I tripled your recipe and was very pleased with the outcome. At the gathering I took it to, the people raved. Thank you.
Crab Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb medium pasta shells
- 1 pound package imitation crab meat cut bite size
- 1 can medium black olives sliced
- 1 medium red bell pepper diced
- 3 or 4 green onions sliced thin about two inches into the green
- 3 stalks of celery diced
Dressing
- 1 1/2 cups plain non fat yogurt see note
- 1/4 cup fat free mayonnaise
- 1/2 TBSP Spike found in the spice aisle (you can also substitute with 1/2 a tablespoon of Old Bay Seasoning)
- 1 tsp celery salt
- 1 TBSP yellow mustard
- 1/2 TBSP soy sauce
- 1/4 cup Italian vinaigrette salad dressing see note
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- In a very large bowl, mix the pasta, crab, olives, red peppers, green onions, and celery.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mayo, Spike, celery salt, yellow mustard, soy sauce, and salad dressing.
- Pour the dressing over the pasta and veggies and stir to combine. Refrigerate at least two hours before serving.
Notes
did you make this
Crab Pasta Salad
Nancy Woods says
I love salads, but my digestive system can’t tolerate lettuce. I can eat each and every one of your salads in this post. Salads will be back on the menu! Greatful for your post!
David says
I added some prawns in addition to the fake crab and I used some Caesar dressing instead of the Italian. Instead of spike I added Mrs. Dash. Added a little bit of feta. So good! Thank you!
Dottie M.T. Joyal says
Hello!
When it comes to easy dinners I’m all ears! The chicken tacos were a big hit! Love how I can pretty much set it and forget it.
The crab pasta Salad… I love Crab!
I could eat this weekly and not get tired of it. Loved it!
You are the best!
Thank you for helping me get out of my kitchen and get other things done while my dinner is cooking!
I have a live in autistic female adult, some days are very busy and dinner needs to be a quick. You have helped me do just that.
Thanks a bunch.
Delishous meals in no time at all!!
DMTJ WEST WARWICK, RI
I’m so happy you are enjoying my recipes! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and let me know!
Helga says
What is Spike? I’ve never seen that spice. What can I use as a substitute? Thanks.
It’s a spice mix sold in the U.S. If you can’t find it, you could use Old Bay seasoning instead. Some people have also had good luck with Mrs. Dash.
Joyce says
Can’t wait to make this crab salad for my seafood-loving adult son. Thanks for posting. My condolences on the loss of your precious mom. Moms are such important people in our lives that we never get past needing them in our lives. I am sure she would be so very proud of you and that she was blessed to have you as her daughter.
Oh, thank you Joyce.
Janet says
Your salad looks delicious…can’t wait to try it!! Just wanted to know your thoughts on substituting sour cream for the yogurt?
I haven’t tried that but I think it would work fine!
Diane Radocaj says
Thank you for sharing your story about your mom. It was beautiful. I miss my mom everyday. Your in my thoughts today. Thank you for sharing your moms recipe too ill be making it today!
Thank you for this sweet comment, Diane!
Dianne says
love your recipes
Cindy says
This salad was awful. The predominant taste is the mustard and the celery salt. I’ve mixed and mixed and there is no way to get rid of those flavors. Not a cheap dish to throw in the trash but that’s where it’s going. Uughhhhhhhhhhh
I’m so sorry you didn’t like it, Cindy. And I’m so surprised to hear that. That isn’t my experience with the flavors of this at all, and I haven’t heard that feedback before.
Ann marie says
Hey Lisa can I substitute sour cream for the yogurt? And would it be the same amount as the yogurt or less and more Mayo thanks for your great recipes
I haven’t tried that, but I’m sure it would work!