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–+ servings
seafood pasta salad served in a yellow ceramic bowl
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5 from 10 votes

Seafood Pasta Salad

A delicious and satisfying main course pasta salad loaded with succulent shrimp and crab tossed in a creamy dressing.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: 4th of July, brunch, Christmas, creamy, decadent, dinner party, father's day, Independence Day, Memorial Day, New Year's Eve, potluck
Servings: 8 people
Author: Marissa Stevens

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces medium shell pasta or other short pasta
  • 1 1/2 lemons divided
  • 1 pound medium shrimp peeled and deveined
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 2/3 cup mayonnaise or 1/3 cup mayonnaise and 1/3 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon capers coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh dill plus more for garnish, optional
  • 1 medium shallot minced
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 8 ounces lump crab meat (recipe note #2)
  • 3 ribs celery diced small

Instructions

  • Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; rinse with cold water and drain, shaking to remove as much water as possible. Set aside.
  • Meanwhile, cut one lemon into wedges. (Reserve remaining half lemon for dressing.)
  • Prepare ice bath for shrimp.
  • Bring 2 quarts water, lemon wedges and kosher salt to boil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cover; remove from heat and let stand 3 minutes, until just cooked through. Transfer with slotted spoon to ice bath.
  • When shrimp are cool, lift out of ice bath with slotted spoon. Pat dry and add to large bowl.
  • To a separate bowl add mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, capers, dill, and shallot. Squeeze remaining lemon half over (about 1 tablespoon of fresh juice). Whisk until well combined. Season to taste with pepper.
  • Add pasta, lump crab, and celery to shrimp in salad bowl. Spoon mayonnaise mixture over and gently toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with fresh dill if desired before serving.

Notes

  1. Note that you'll need 1 1/2 lemons for this recipe - one for the shrimp boiling water and another 1/2 for the dressing. 
  2. If you want to skip the crab, add an additional 1/2 pound of shrimp to the salad.
  3. You can make and refrigerate this salad several hours ahead of serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 422kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 1361mg | Potassium: 429mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 207IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 2mg

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