Cameron’s Summer Crab Pasta Salad

Summer is peak blue crab season. Starting in late spring, blue crabs emerge from their hibernation hiding spots. By late summer, most crabs have already doubled, or even tripled, in size, feeding well from the bountiful Chesapeake Bay. The larger the blue crab, the more succulent and plentiful the crab meat.  

One of the most coveted bits of the blue crab, is the jumbo lump meat. Jumbo lump crab meat comes from the large muscles connected to the fin-like swimming legs, an area most crab aficionados call ‘the body’. It is the largest, succulent, delicate, and most desired part of the crab. 

 

To highlight these large, chunky, buttery crab pieces, we partnered ripe seasonal veggies, summer sausage, al dente pasta noodles, and a creamy-zesty dressing. A perfect pasta salad for potlucks, picnics or BBQs. 

Cameron’s Summer Crab Pasta Salad

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

Dressing:

  • 1/4 cup butter melted
  • 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Salad:

  • 1 lb spiral bowtie, or penne pasta, cooked according to the instructions on the package, and cooled
  • 3 cups cherry tomatoes halved or quartered
  • 2 cups cucumbers diced
  • 1/2 cup red onion peeled and sliced or diced
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil chopped
  • 1 cup baby mozzarella halved
  • 1 cup summer sausage diced
  • 1 cup sweet corn shucked and removed from the cob
  • 1 lb Camerons Seafood Jumbo Lump Crab Meat drained

Instructions

  1. To make the salad dressing, place melted butter, mayonnaise, Dijon, lemon juice, Old Bay, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl, whisk until blended and combined.
  2. Add cooked pasta, tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, parsley, basil, mozzarella, summer sausage, and corn, stir to combine with the dressing.
  3. Being careful not to break up the large chunks of crab meat, add the lump meat to the bowl, and gently fold to combine with the other ingredients. Serve asap or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Make this the Summer of the Crab 

We all know that Summer is known for warm weather, beachy vacations, baseball, and BBQ. If you’re from Maryland, blue crabs rank high on that summer-time hit list as well! There’s nothing like spreading out a bushel-full of perfectly cooked and seasoned blue crabs and gathering with your buddies for a crab-picking good time! Nor is there anything better than crab themed dishes or side dishes (like this pasta salad recipe). 

Live summer to the fullest, whether you’re near or far from the Chesapeake Bay, with an abundance of blue crabs. Cameron’s Seafood offers not only the whole crabs needed for the above mentioned feast, but an array of crab products to keep the Summer of the Crab going! Check out our selection here. 

About the author

Patterson Watkins is a professional chef with over 17 years of experience. With a robust career in restaurants, contract dining and catering (including 4 Summer Olympic posts preparing food for the athletes!) Patterson joined the Cameron’s Seafood team at the end of 2018 to concoct some delicious recipes with our premium seafood items as the centerpiece.

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