BBQ season is coming (or so we hope!) and we'll all need some side dishes that are delicious, shareable, and won't break the calorie budget. This seafood pasta salad is easy to make, loaded with protein and is a big hit at parties and potlucks- I've been making it for almost twenty years (!) and rarely get to take any leftovers home.
You can have it as a meal or a side dish by varying your portion size, and I think you'll find it really hits the spot and you won't miss the heavy mayo based dressings on similar salads!
Seafood Pasta Salad:
I generally use Catelli Smart pasta so that it has the whole grains without being actual whole wheat, since I have a picky eater in my family. Pick a pasta shape that's small and holds the dressing well. I prefer baby shells when I can get them, but macaroni is a great choice too. I haven't tried this recipe with some of the pasta alternatives like chick pea based pastas, but I think as long as the noodles have a very mild flavour, it would work just fine. I wouldn't use a black bean pasta for this recipe.
Boil your pasta, drain it, and put it in a large serving bowl. Add the bottle of dressing so that the pasta doesn't clump!! Chop the crab into small pieces, then add all the other ingredients, and stir to mix it up and coat everything in the sauce. Season with a bit of black pepper to give it a bit more kick, and enjoy! If you have time to make it a few hours in advance, the longer it chills, the more the flavours blend.
I call this 8 meal sized servings, but realistically unless you have hungry teenagers, it's going to feed more than that. Call it 16 servings if you're using it for a side dish alongside some protein!
If you're having it as a meal, it clocks in at 356 calories, 1.5g fat, 62g carbs, and 21g protein.
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