Shelly's Recipe

Seafood Pasta Salad

Category: Salads - Seafood

For the Dressing:
1 cup of mayonnaise
1/2 cup buttermilk, sour cream or Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon of granulated sugar
1 teaspoon of Creole mustard
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon of onion powder
1/4 teaspoon of dill weed
1 tablespoon of fresh parsley, chopped

For the Salad:
2 cups of dry medium pasta shells, cooked and drained
1 pound package of small (51/60 count) cooked shrimp
1 cup of cooked, peeled crawfish tails
1 (8 ounce) package of imitation crab
1/2 teaspoon of Cajun or Creole seasoning
1/2 teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning
2 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup of chopped sweet bell pepper
1/4 cup of chopped celery
1 tablespoon of chopped pickled jalapeno
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, only as needed, to taste

In the bottom of a large serving bowl or lidded storage bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients; set aside.

Prepare the pasta, drain and let cool. Place pasta in the bowl on top of the dressing. Add the seafood to the top of the pasta and sprinkle lightly with the Cajun seasoning and Old Bay. Add green onion, bell pepper, celery and jalapeno. Toss, taste and adjust seasonings, adding salt and pepper only if needed. Serve immediately or refrigerate until needed to further develop the flavors. If refrigerated, toss with a few splashes of milk to freshen before serving.

Cook's Notes: Subsitute fresh lump crab if you prefer. If you are boiling your own shrimp, reserve the leftover cooking water and use it to boil the pasta. It adds fantastic flavor to the salad, but remember, depending on the heat and seasoning used in your boil, do not add any salt, pepper, Old Bay or Cajun seasoning to the dressing or salad, until you taste the salad after it is dressed. When using my own shrimp boil, I don't add any additional seasoning.