Crab and Pasta Salad

Easy pasta salad using surimi (imitation) crab, pasta and poppy seed dressing. Pasta shells or gemelli will work, but rotelli is easy to pick up with the crab and I like the colorful pasta. If you only have a sweet poppy seed dressing, add some red wine vinegar or lime juice to give it some tartness.

• Ready In: 22 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 2  cups  cooked tri-colored rotelle pasta
• 1  lb  imitation crabmeat, chunks (surimi)
• 1⁄4 cup mayonnaise
• 2⁄3 cup  poppy seed dressing (La Martinique or a sweet or sour variety)
•  salt & pepper
• 0.5 (8 ounce) bag  shredded mozzarella cheese or 0.5 (8 ounce) bag mozzarella cheese or 0.5 (8 ounce) bag provolone cheese, mix

Directions

1. Cook the noodles al dente, rinse and cool. I like to gently remove the water from the noodles by tossing with paper towels in my hand -- they hold the sauce better.
2. Rinse the crab meat and separate into bite sized pieces.
3. In a large bowl, combine the crab, mayonnaise, poppy seed dressing, salt & pepper.
4. Add the noodles and a handful of the cheese to the crab mixture and combine.
5. Refrigerate for at least an hour, and add more parmesan to the top to serve.