Ingredients

For the pasta salad

  • 1 lb (450 g) small pasta, such as rotini, fusilli, shells, or elbow macaroni
  • 12 oz (340 g) imitation crab meat, cut or torn into bite-sized pieces
  • 8 oz (225 g) cooked shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped
  • 1 large cucumber, diced or sliced into small pieces
  • 1–1½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ½ cup finely diced red onion
  • ½ cup finely diced celery
  • ½ cup shredded or diced carrot, optional
  • ¼ cup fresh dill, finely chopped
  • 2–3 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 1–2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped, optional

🥣 Creamy Dill Dressing

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ¼ cup buttermilk, milk, or plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried dill
  • 2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon sugar, optional
  • 1–2 teaspoons pickle juice, optional but delicious

Optional seafood boost

For an even stronger seafood flavor, add:

  • 1 teaspoon Old Bay-style seafood seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest

👩‍🍳 Step 1 — Cook the Pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.

Add approximately 1 tablespoon of salt to the water.

Add your pasta and cook according to the package directions until al dente.

You don’t want the pasta too soft because it will continue absorbing dressing as the salad sits.

Important:

Before draining, reserve about ½ cup of the pasta cooking water.

Drain the pasta and immediately rinse it under cold running water.

Rinsing stops the cooking process and cools the pasta for the salad.

Drain very well.

Transfer the pasta to a large mixing bowl.

🦐 Step 2 — Prepare the Seafood

If you’re using cooked shrimp, make sure it is completely cooled.

Cut larger shrimp into bite-sized pieces.

For the imitation crab:

Pull or cut the crab meat into small chunks.

You don’t want the pieces too tiny. Larger pieces give the salad a much better texture.

Add the shrimp and crab to the cooled pasta.

Gently toss everything together.

🥒 Step 3 — Prepare the Vegetables

Dice your cucumber into relatively small pieces.

If your cucumber contains a lot of seeds or liquid, you can remove the seeds first. This prevents the finished salad from becoming watery.

Halve the cherry tomatoes.

Finely dice the red onion and celery.

Chop the fresh dill and parsley.

Add the cucumber, tomatoes, onion, celery, dill, and parsley to the pasta and seafood.

Gently mix.

🥣 Step 4 — Make the Creamy Dressing

In a separate bowl, combine:

1 cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup buttermilk or Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Whisk until completely smooth.

Then add:

  • garlic powder
  • onion powder
  • dried dill
  • fresh dill
  • paprika
  • salt
  • black pepper
  • optional sugar
  • optional pickle juice
  • optional seafood seasoning

Whisk everything together.

Taste the dressing.

Adjust it to your preference:

Too thick?
Add a tablespoon of milk or buttermilk at a time.

Too tangy?
Add a tiny amount of sugar.

Too bland?
Add more salt, pepper, lemon juice, dill, or seafood seasoning.

Want it more garlicky?
Add another ¼–½ teaspoon garlic powder.

🥗 Step 5 — Combine Everything

Pour approximately ¾ of the dressing over the pasta mixture.

Use a large spoon or spatula to gently fold everything together.

Be careful not to crush the crab or shrimp.

Once everything is coated, check the consistency.

If it looks dry, add more dressing.

Reserve the remaining dressing because pasta tends to absorb dressing while it sits.

❄️ Step 6 — Refrigerate

Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or transfer the salad to an airtight container.

Place it in the refrigerator for at least:

1–2 hours

For the best flavor, let it chill for 3–4 hours.

Overnight is also fine.

The chilling time allows the dill, lemon, seafood, and creamy dressing to blend together.

🌿 Step 7 — Finish Before Serving

Take the salad out of the refrigerator about 10–15 minutes before serving.

Give it a good gentle stir.

The pasta will probably have absorbed some of the dressing.

Add a few spoonfuls of the reserved dressing to bring it back to a creamy consistency.

Taste again and adjust the seasoning.

Finish with:

  • Fresh dill
  • Fresh parsley
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • A small sprinkle of paprika
  • A few pieces of shrimp or crab on top

For a presentation similar to your photo, place the salad into a large white serving bowl and pile it slightly higher in the center.

Garnish generously with fresh dill sprigs.