Ingredients
→ Pasta & Seafood
8 oz rotini, penne, or your favorite pasta shape
1 cup cooked shrimp, peeled and ready to go
1 cup fresh crab meat, picked through for shells
→ Fresh Vegetables
1/2 cup celery, chopped into small pieces
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
→ Creamy Dressing
1/2 cup good quality mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped
Lemon wedges for serving
Steps
Cook your pasta according to the package directions until it’s al dente. Drain it well and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking and cool it down.
In a large mixing bowl, gently combine the cooled pasta with the shrimp, crab meat, celery, cherry tomatoes, and red onion. Toss everything together carefully.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until it’s nice and smooth.
Pour that creamy dressing over the pasta and seafood mixture. Add the fresh dill and toss everything until it’s well coated and combined.
Pop the salad in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to let all those flavors come together. Serve it cold with lemon wedges on the side.
Tips
- Cook your pasta al dente so it holds up perfectly in the salad without getting mushy.
- Fresh seafood gives the best flavor, but you can definitely use frozen or even canned if that’s what you have.
- Taste and adjust the seasonings – add more lemon juice for brightness or extra dill for that fresh herb flavor.
- This pasta salad actually gets better after sitting in the fridge for a few hours as the flavors meld together.
Required Tools
- Large pot for cooking pasta
- Large mixing bowl
- Separate bowl for making dressing
- Whisk
- Colander for draining pasta