Crab Pasta Salad with Ranch Dressing Bliss

Ingredients

• 16 oz Elbow Macaroni
• 1 lb Flaky crab meat (lump or high-quality imitation)
• 1.5 cups Ranch Dressing
• 2 stalks Celery, finely diced
• 1/4 cup Red Onion, minced
• 1 cup Frozen Peas, thawed
• 2 tbsp Fresh Dill, chopped
• 2 tbsp Fresh Parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper, freshly cracked
• Salt for pasta water

Instructions

1. 1

   Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil and cook the elbow macaroni until al dente, following the lower end of the package timing.

2. 2

   Drain the pasta immediately in a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold running water to stop the cooking and remove excess starch.

3. 3

   Prepare the crab meat by chopping imitation crab into bite-sized chunks or carefully picking through fresh lump crab to remove any shell fragments.

4. 4

   In a small bowl, whisk together the ranch dressing, lemon juice, black pepper, and half of the fresh dill and parsley until well combined.

5. 5

   In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta, prepared crab meat, diced celery, minced red onion, and thawed peas.

6. 6

   Pour the dressing mixture over the salad and use a large spatula to gently fold everything together until the pasta is evenly coated.

7. 7

   Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour to allow the flavors to meld and the pasta to absorb the dressing.

8. 8

   Before serving, give the salad one last gentle toss. If it seems dry, stir in an extra tablespoon of ranch or a tiny splash of milk.