Maryland Crab Pasta Salad
Maryland Crab Pasta Salad is a creamy, cold salad that combines sweet, tender lump crab meat with pasta, crisp vegetables, and a mayonnaise-based dressing. It typically features ingredients like elbow macaroni or rotini, celery, red onion, Old Bay seasoning, and fresh herbs like parsley or dill. This dish is a beloved staple of Maryland's Eastern Shore cuisine, often served at summer picnics, crab feasts, and beach gatherings.
🍽️ Nutrition at a glance
This dish is a balanced meal, offering a good mix of protein from the crab, carbohydrates from the pasta, and fats from the mayonnaise dressing. A typical serving provides a solid source of lean protein, B vitamins, and minerals like selenium and zinc, with a calorie ballpark of around 350-450 kcal per cup.
Nutrition breakdown
| Calories | 380 kcal |
| Protein | 18 g |
| Carbs | 32 g |
| Fat | 20 g |
| Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 4 g |
| Sodium | 680 mg |
| Selenium | 28 mcg |
| Vitamin B12 | 3.2 mcg |
| Zinc | 2.5 mg |
| Phosphorus | 220 mg |
| Niacin (B3) | 4.8 mg |
| Potassium | 350 mg |
| Iron | 1.8 mg |
| Magnesium | 40 mg |
Per 1 cup (240 g) · estimated, varies by recipe
💡 What's interesting
Culturally, it's a delicious extension of Maryland's iconic crab feast tradition, transforming a messy, hands-on meal into a convenient, portable salad. Nutritionally, it's unique for providing high-quality, low-fat protein from crab alongside the energy-dense carbs and fats of the salad base.
