Bring the taste of the seaside into your kitchen with this creamy crab and roasted pepper pasta salad. It's made with tinned crab, which adds the flavour of crab without breaking the bank! With pops of sweetness from sweetcorn and the smoky tang of roasted red peppers, this is the perfect salad for family lunches, picnics or easy weeknight dinners.
Brighten up your summer al fresco dining with this creamy crab and roasted red pepper salad. It's packed with flavour and the perfect partner to grilled meat and a spread of fresh salads - but to be honest, I could happily enoy a bowl of this all on its own!
This budget-friendly recipe uses tinned crab (to save on the pennies). It's made with pasta, tossed together with sweetcorn, chopped roasted red peppers, and finely chopped spring onions (or green onions) for a lovely balance of sweetness and crunch. The creamy dressing, made with mayonnaise, a splash of tomato ketchup and tabasco with a hint of dill, brings it all together with a classic Marie Rose style twist.
Be warned though - this salad is very moreish. You might even find yourself sneaking a few spoonfuls before it even reaches the table!
You might like to try my imitation crab salads which are made with crab sticks. There are 2 different versions in the link, and I can't decide which one is my favourite!
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Recipe information
Prep - 10 minutes
Cooking time - as long as it takes to cook the pasta!
Chilling time - this crab pasta salad is best served chilled, so an hour or two in the refrigerator is recommended, although you could eat it at room temperature too.
Yield - this will serve up to 6 people as a side dish, but leftovers are great for a quick lunch the next day.
Ingredients
- Tinned crab - this is shredded white crab meat which I get from my local supermarket. It comes in brine, and I normally drain the brine away, reserving one or two tablespoons to mix in with the dressing if I think it needs to be thinned down a little. If you can't get tinned crab, the closest substitute would be flaked tuna in brine.
- Pasta - any small pasta shapes will work well for this recipe.
- Roasted red peppers - to save time I like to use red peppers that have been roasted and bottled. If you want to roast your own red peppers and use those instead, that will be fine.
- Green onion (or spring onions) - green part only. I asked hubby to pick up some spring onions at the supermarket, and he came home with these massive ones. But there's plenty of oniony flavour in the leaves, so I just used the green part - they were surprisingly good! If you have smaller spring onions, you might like to chop some of the white part into the salad too.
- Sweetcorn - my favourite brand (in the UK) is Green Giant because it is to sweet and crisp. You can use any brand you prefer. Frozen sweetcorn will also work in this recipe - just allow it to defrost before adding it to the salad.
- Dill - you can use fresh or dried dill. If using fresh dill you will need approximately three times the amount as dried. Dried herbs are much more pungent than fresh. If you don't like the taste of dill you can leave it out, or perhaps substitute with oregano or mixed herbs.
- Ketchup (or tomato sauce) - this is one of the times when I use ketchup in a recipe. The tomato sauce combines beautifully with the mayonnaise to form a beautiful pink Marie Rose sauce (otherwise known as seafood sauce).#
- Mayonnaise - use your favourite shop-bought brand, or make your own using one of these recipes - one-minute mayonnaise or how to make mayonnaise.
- Tabasco - just a few drops for a hint of heat - this stuff is strong, so be careful. You could substitute with any hot sauce such as sriracha or leave it out.
**You can find the exact ingredient quantities to make this creamy crab pasta salad on the printable recipe card at the end of this post.**
Instructions
Step 1: Combine the mayonnaise, tomato sauce, tabasco and dill in a small bowl and set aside to let the flavours infuse. If the sauce seems too thick, thin it down with one or two spoonfuls of brine from the crab.
Step 2: Cook the pasta in lightly salted water according to the instructions on the packet. As soon as it has cooked, tip it into a colander and rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking process. Leave it to drain in the colander.
Step 3: Transfer the pasta to a serving dish. Chop the red peppers into approximately half-inch pieces and slice the green part of the onion. Add them to the pasta with the crab and the sweetcorn.
Step 4: Mix well to combine then stir in the prepared sauce and garnish with more chopped spring onion. Cover with a lid and refrigerate until ready to eat. This salad is best served chilled.
Tips for a successful outcome
Here are my top tips to ensure the crab pasta salad always turns out perfectly:
- Cut the peppers into small pieces, approximately the size of the cooked pasta shapes.
- Slice the onion finely, green part only unless you want a stronger onion taste. You won't need much onion - 2 or 3 tablespoons will be plenty.
- Drain the sweetcorn thoroughly before adding it to the salad so that it doesn't cause the sauce to become runny.
- Apart from cooking the pasta in salted water I didn't add any other seasoning. I think there is more than enough salt in tinned food! Taste the finished salad and add salt and black pepper to taste if necessary.
- You could serve this at room temperature, but I think it tastes better served chilled.
Serving suggestions
I like to serve this salad with selection of other salads and a platter of cold meat for a substantial meal. For a lighter lunch, I like to pair this salad with a slice of quiche.
Here are some suggestions for salads that will pair well with the crab salad:
- spicy beetroot salad - (my favourite) - it has a lovely warming yet spicy vinegary taste and only takes minutes to make if you use pre-cooked beetroot from the supermarket.
- copper penny salad - otherwise known as sweet and sour carrots.
- curried green bean salad - you'd better make a big bowl - everyone makes a bee-line for this salad, and I think the flavours improve on standing, so you can keep it in the fridge for a few days and serve it often!
And a few suggestions for a meat dish to go with it:
- easy oven-baked gammon - a slice of this served cold is perfect with salads.
- air fryer lemon and herb chicken flattie - make this ahead of time to allow it to come to room temperature before serving with the salad.
- sticky honey lemon chicken wings or honey-glazed chicken wings - both these chicken wing recipes will pair beautifully.
Finally, for a light luncheon, here are a few ideas for quiche:
- potato crust mushroom and bacon quiche
- crustless tomato quiche
- crustless ham and cheese quiche with sweetcorn - if I were to serve this quiche with the crab pasta salad I'd be inclined to swap the sweetcorn in the salad for peas for a better variety of vegetables.
Variations
You can vary this salad in various ways, simply by changing the vegetables you use:
- fresh and crunchy - finely diced cucumber and celery with sliced sugarsnap peas and pieces of freshly steamed asparaqus.
- mild and creamy - diced avocado, halved cherry tomatoes and a little grated carrot for texture.
- tangy - thinly sliced radish, pickled red onions and cubed beetroot.
You could also substitute the crab meat with fresh water shrimps.
Equipment
These are the main items of equipment you will need to make this creamy crab pasta salad:
- small bowl - for mixing the sauce.
- saucepan and colander for cooking and draining the pasta.
- can opener - for opening the tin of crab.
- sharp knife and chopping board for cutting up the vegetables.
- serving bowl - large enough to hold the pasta and other ingredients.
Storage
This salad can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator 3 to 4 days.
Unfortunately it is not suitable for freezing.
FAQ
Marie Rose sauce, a British condiment, typically consists of a base of mayonnaise and tomato ketchup with various additions like Worcestershire sauce, tabasco, lemon juice or black pepper. Marie Rose sauce is traditionally served in a prawn cocktail but is versatile enough to be added to sandwiches or used as a salad dressing. It also makes a great dipping sauce for raw vegetables or even french fries.
Absolutely! Fresh crab meat would be delicious!
Save for later
If you would like to make this crab pasta salad why not save the recipe to one of your Pinterest boards so you can find it easily? Just click on the image below.
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Related recipes
You can find other salad recipes on my sides and salad recipes page. Here are a few pasta salads you might enjoy:
📋The recipe
Creamy crab and roasted pepper pasta salad
(Click the stars to rate this recipe)
Equipment
- Small bowl
- Saucepan
- Colander
- Sharp Knife
- Chopping Board
- Can opener
- Serving bowl
Ingredients
- 7½ ounce / 213 gram can shredded crab meat in brine drain and reserve the liquid to thin the sauce if necessary
- 2 cups / 200 grams small pasta shapes approx 7 ounces
- 7 ounces / 200 grams roasted red peppers approx ½ 450 gram jar
- 2 - 3 spring onions / green onions finely chopped (green part only)
- 7 ounce / 198 gram can sweetcorn drained
- 1 teaspoon dried dill or 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
- 2 - 3 tablespoons tomato sauce / tomato ketchup
- 1 cup / 240 ml mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon salt for cooking the pasta
Instructions
- Combine the mayonnaise, tomato sauce, tabasco and dill in a small bowl and set aside to let the flavours infuse. If the sauce seems too thick, thin it down with one or two spoonfuls of reserved brine from the crab (if necessary). Set it aside.1 teaspoon dried dill, 2 - 3 tablespoons tomato sauce / tomato ketchup, 1 cup / 240 ml mayonnaise, ½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
- Cook the pasta in lightly salted water according to the instructions on the packet. As soon as it has cooked, tip it into a colander and rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking process. Leave it to drain in the colander.2 cups / 200 grams small pasta shapes, 1 teaspoon salt
- Transfer the pasta to a serving dish. Chop the red peppers into approximately half-inch pieces and slice the green part of the onion. Add them to the pasta with the crab and the sweetcorn.7½ ounce / 213 gram can shredded crab meat in brine, 7 ounces / 200 grams roasted red peppers, 2 - 3 spring onions / green onions, 7 ounce / 198 gram can sweetcorn
- Mix well to combine then stir in the prepared sauce and garnish with more chopped spring onion. Cover with a lid and refrigerate until ready to eat. This salad is best served chilled.
- Serve as a main meal with a selection of salads and a platter of cold meat.
Notes
- Cut the peppers into small pieces, approximately the size of the cooked pasta shapes.
- Slice the onion finely, green part only unless you want a stronger onion taste. You won't need much onion - 2 or 3 tablespoons will be plenty.
- Drain the sweetcorn thoroughly before adding it to the salad so that it doesn't cause the sauce to become runny.
- Apart from cooking the pasta in salted water I didn't add any other seasoning. I think there is more than enough salt in tinned food! Taste the finished salad and add salt and black pepper to taste if necessary.
- You could serve this at room temperature, but I think it tastes better served chilled.
- fresh and crunchy - finely diced cucumber and celery with sliced sugarsnap peas and pieces of freshly steamed asparaqus.
- mild and creamy - diced avocado, halved cherry tomatoes and a little grated carrot for texture.
- tangy - thinly sliced radish, pickled red onions and cubed beetroot.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
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