Cucumber Crab Pasta Salad |
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Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 0 Minutes |
Ready In: 20 Minutes Servings: 12 |
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This is best when it has time to chill. I've only had this using imitation crab, let me know if you used real crab with it. This is another recipe from my dad that people ask for every time they eat it. It's a good make ahead dish for pot lucks, etc. Prep time does not include chill time, although you could keep all your ingredients (including prepared noodles) in the fridge until you have time to assemble it. Ingredients:
1 (16 ounce) box medium shell noodles |
1 english cucumber, sliced |
2 (8 ounce) packages imitation crabmeat |
1 1/2 tablespoons dried dill (or to taste. can use fresh.) |
salt (optional) |
pepper (optional) |
1 (16 ounce) bottle kraft creamy cucumber salad dressing |
Directions:
1. Please note: cucumber and crab amounts are to your preference. The amounts listed here are a pretty good veggie/crab to noodle ratio.
2. Do not use noodles larger than the medium shells. You can use smaller shell noodles, though.
3. Boil noodles. Rinse well and let drain for quite a while. Stir them often when draining them to make sure all the water is out of the shells. The less water on them, the better the salad dressing sticks to them.
4. Slice cucumber (with or without skin) to your preference. I typically slice it in half lengthwise, then do about 1/8 thin slices.
5. Chop the imitation crab into chunks and add to the noodles.
6. Sprinkle with salt and dill over entire mixture and stir. Dill should have a nice amount of speckling throughout the dish after stirring.
7. If serving right away, pour approx 1/2 the bottle of dressing onto the cucumber crab mixture and stir, then slowly add more to lightly cover everything. You don't want the noodles sopping wet with dressing, but you want a nice thin coat on everything in the bowl.
8. Chill until serving.
9. If you are taking this to a pot luck or making it ahead, assemble everything but the dressing and keep refridgerated. Pour the dressing on just before serving.
10. Keep dressing handy for left-overs because it tends to get sucked into the noodles if it sits in the fridge for any length of time.
11. Optional: For presentation you can decorate with cherry tomatoes on top and sprinkle with dill for garnish.
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