Crab Macaroni Salad

Is the grossest thing ever to you?  Please say no, I love it so much.  

I don't know how this came about, but Jay and I were...eating sushi? wandering the grocery store? something inspiring like that I'm sure, and we got to talking about how we love imitation crab.  I KNOW.  So not real food, but we both enjoy it, and clearly we aren't the only ones, given the popularity of California rolls.  Krab makes appearances in a few creamy southern potluck-esque dishes like this macaroni salad.  Since we've been active and jungly and eating organically for a week in Belize I figured what BETTER time than to share a creamy pasta salad recipe?  

Eye roll, I know.  

Speaking of being back from Belize, we are so all over the place.  Interviewing people and planning for the remodel, which will start in about 3 months and be done approximately never.  All of the laundry because everything smells like river.  Reconnecting with Beck.  Huge computer issues that took literally two whole days and is still not solved.  Planning for some new writing projects (holidays!).  Attempting to get back into work without becoming totally bummed that vacation is over.  And, on top of that, we're vaguely jet lagged which means we are zombies in the morning but all kinds of youthful at night so we've been bingeing Schitt's Creek which OMG PLEASE DO NOT DELAY WATCHING THIS.  It is just so good.  

All that to say, we really need some pasta.  And so do you!  4th of July begs for it, no joke.  

You need!  Cooked short pasta, imitation crab, green onions, fresh parsley, chopped bell pepper and tomatoes.  The dressing is lemon juice, olive oil, mayo, sour cream, Old Bay, garlic powder, and onion powder.  Maybe some salt, but probably not much if you cook your pasta in salted water.  

First, whisk the dressing together and taste it - maybe a pinch of salt or a tiny bit more lemon juice for tang?  You decide.  

Then, just combine everything together in a bowl with the dressing.  I like to do this when the pasta is mostly cool but still warm/room temperature, I find it absorbs more of the dressing and flavor that way compared to leftover pasta that has been in the fridge.  

Toss the pasta with the rest of the ingredients and taste for seasoning - again, more salt or lemon juice if you'd like!  The dressing should coat everything really well but won't be soupy.  

Serve right away, or this can sit in the fridge for an hour or two before you eat it.  If you'd like to make this ahead, I'd suggest making the dressing and chopping the Krab and veggies, then cooking the pasta on the day you'd like to serve this and tossing it together right before you eat for the best flavor and texture.  

I'm glad there's a holiday coming the week after my vacation, I really feel as though I've earned it.  

Enjoy this!

Recipe

Crab Macaroni Salad

Lindsay Howerton-Hastings

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Salad

• ▢ ½ yellow bell pepper chopped
• ▢ 3 scallions sliced
• ▢ 8 cherry tomatoes quartered
• ▢ 12 ounces short pasta cooked and cooled
• ▢ 8 ounces imitation crab chopped or shredded
• ▢ ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped

Dressing

• ▢ ½ lemon juiced
• ▢ ¼ cup olive oil
• ▢ ⅓ cup mayonnaise
• ▢ ⅓ cup sour cream
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
• ▢ ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

 

• Whisk the ingredients for the dressing together until smooth. Taste, and add a few pinches of salt to your preference.
• Combine all of the salad ingredients with all of the dressing in a large bowl. When everything is combined, taste the salad and add a bit more salt or lemon juice to your preference. The dressing should coat the noodles but not be soupy, just creamy.
• Enjoy!

Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!