Delicious Creamy Spaghetti Seafood Salad To Die For (With Video)

This salad is a family favorite and always one of the first things to go at family cookouts. LMBO!! So that’s how you know it’s good! And if you’re anything like me and are a seafood and pasta addict, this Creamy Spaghetti Seafood Salad recipe is for you!

The best part is that this Creamy Spaghetti Seafood Salad recipe is straightforward to make! Read below for more on this unique one-of-a-kind seafood salad recipe.

Watch Me Make It

Aunt Janet and Nydia’s Creamy Spaghetti Seafood Salad

My aunt Janet and my older cousin Nydia would always bring the non-potato salads to the family functions. Nydia would make a seafood pasta salad similar to mine, but she would use all kinds of crazy shellfish I personally don’t care for, but it was good. Lol!

Aunt Janet, who shares my date of birth, May 30th, would also bring pasta salad to the family cookouts. Both were very good, but unlike Nydia, Aunt Janet wouldn’t add as much exotic seafood meat to hers, like muscles and stuff like that.

I don’t think they had an actual recipe for it, but they always made it the same way. Nydia used creamy Italian dressing, and my aunt Janet put Zesty Italian dressing in her salad, very similar to my Zesty Italian Pasta Salad Recipe.

This recipe is very similar to theirs, but I use different seasonings and vegetables; they would use either macaroni or multicolored rotini pasta, while I prefer spaghetti. But yeah, they were the salad makers.

They were so good that whenever they brought salads to family functions, they were among the first things to go. Lol! Nydia would bring 2 large, deep lasagna-size pans of salad, and my aunt Janet did the same.

The anti-white club

Some people don’t like white or light-colored condiments like Mayo and Creamy Italian dressing. I’ve met quite a few people who, for whatever reason, didn’t like mayo, white gravy, Ranch, Blue cheese, or anything “WHITE” on their food.

I don’t know what that’s about, but people like that exist! Lol! And so, the family always devoured Aunt Janet’s salad first. The creamy one wouldn’t last long either, but my Aunt Janet’s zesty Italian salad would always be the first to go.

After about an hour of being placed on the table, more than half of the salad would be GONE! My family doesn’t play when it comes to food! We’re all foodies and love to eat, and a good chilled salad during a summer cookout is a MUST for us!

Ingredients You’ll Need:

Here are all the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe. Feel free to customize the recipe to your liking because, at the end of the day, you’ll be eating this. So if there are ingredients you don’t particularly care for and want to replace with something else, that’s fine.

• Pasta: Spaghetti is the main ingredient here. I like to use thin spaghetti.
• Shrimp: I use large, deveined pre-cooked shrimp, but if I can’t find any, I’ll buy salad-size shrimp. I never leave the shrimp whole and chop them up anyway, so the size doesn’t matter much.
• Crab: In this salad, I use leg-style imitation crab meat because it’s not only affordable but also adds a nice pop of color. I like the bright orange color of the imitation crab meat, and I love the mild, sweet taste as well. Real crab meat is definitely an option; just stick with the same amount.
• Lobster: I use chunk-style imitation lobster meat, but just like with the crab, you can use real lobster meat. My cousin Nydia not only used every seafood known to man, but she also always used real, fresh seafood. Seafood is pretty expensive, so if you can afford it, go fresh for a higher-quality salad.
• Red Onions: I use red, aka purple, onions mainly for their color. If y’all know me, y’all know I think how food looks is as important as how it tastes. Red onions also have a milder flavor, making them perfect for salads like this.
• Cucumbers: Although I love cucumbers, they were one of the last additions to this recipe. The cucumbers definitely elevates this salad recipe.
• Grape Tomatoes: I like grape tomatoes because they’re sweeter than regular tomatoes. I also love their deep, rich red color.
• Creamy Italian Dressing: This is the main ingredient! Make sure to use a good brand of creamy Italian dressing. I personally love Ken’s and Wish-Bone because their creamy Italian dressing is mayo-based and has a higher ratio of mayonnaise. I’ll elaborate on this more later.
• Seasonings: Salt adds flavor, Old Bay enhances the seafood flavor and adds a hint of celery flavor and color. The red pepper flakes add a hint of heat.
• Garnish: I sprinkle a little parsley flakes on top to beautify the salad.

Common Questions About Spaghetti

• What brand of spaghetti do you use? Use a good brand of spaghetti like Barilla, Mueller’s, Ronzoni, De Cecco, and San Giorgio. I was always told San Giorgio was one of the best.
• Do I have to use spaghetti? No, but this is for spaghetti lovers! The best alternative is probably macaroni, but you can use bow tie pasta, penne pasta, rotini noodles, or whatever floats ya boat!
• Should you boil spaghetti with oil? I don’t because it’s not really necessary. Once you add the dressing to the spaghetti and start mixing everything together, any spaghetti that’s sticking together will definitely come apart.
• Why do you add salt to pasta water? I add salt to the pasta water for flavor. The salad tastes better when the pasta has flavor, and it enhances the overall deliciousness of the salad.
• What does it mean to “cook until al dente”? When a recipe tells you to “cook pasta until al dente,” it just means to cook it until it’s tender but still firm to the bite. You don’t want to overcook the spaghetti until it’s completely bloated and mushy.
• Should you rinse the spaghetti once it’s done? I do this to stop the cooking process because if you leave the spaghetti in a colander while it’s still very hot, the heat will keep cooking it. Rinsing also prevents it from clumping and sticking together, and it removes some of the starch, preventing the spaghetti from absorbing too much of the dressing and leaving the salad dry.
• Can you use gluten-free spaghetti? Yes, but gluten-free spaghetti is more fragile. Don’t boil it as long, and make sure to rinse it immediately once done. Gently fold in the ingredients, because they can break apart and turn into mush if you aren’t careful.

Creamy Italian dressing!

I want to address the differences between the brands because it’s essential to purchase the brand that’s right for you! I’m then going to show you how to make homemade Creamy Italian dressing the right way if that’s the route you want to take!!

• Ken’s and Wishbone: Most of us who are fans of creamy Italian dressing like it because of the creaminess, so if that’s you, Ken’s and Wish-Bone brands would be the best choice. These are the standard brands, anyway.
• Grey and tangy: Some brands of creamy Italian dressing look greyish, like they barely have any mayo in them. They taste more like original and zesty Italian dressing. Although it’s a creamy Italian dressing, you can tell that not much mayo was used.

How to make homemade creamy Italian dressing

A few of my subscribers told me they couldn’t find any creamy Italian dressing at their local supermarkets. I live in Philadelphia, and even I noticed there weren’t many markets that carried it.

I eventually lucked up and found one that did, but most of them only sold the original and the Zesty kind. So if you’re unable to find a store that carries creamy Italian dressing, check Amazon. You might have more luck finding it there.

You can also make it yourself, which isn’t hard AT ALL! When you DIY, you can customize it to YOUR LIKING! My cousin Nydia preferred making it this way as well, if I remember correctly.

1. Start by adding about 1/2 cup of dressing to a small mixing bowl.
2. Then stir in about a tablespoon of mayo using a fork or whisk, until it’s well combined.
3. Give it a taste and continue adding more mayo until it reaches your desired color and taste.

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How to make creamy spaghetti seafood salad

Ok, so… I’m usually consistent with the way I combine the ingredients when preparing salad. But with this salad, because we’re using spaghetti, it’s better to combine the pasta and dressing first.

I usually add the pasta to the mixing bowl, stir in the seasonings and vegetables, then add the condiments. But with Spaghetti, I like to make sure it’s fully saturated in the dressing first before adding anything else.

I like to do this because stirring seasonings into dry sticky spaghetti is a little challenging. Loosening it up with dressing first makes stirring everything in much easier.

1. Place a large pot over high heat.
2. Add cold water and salt, then stir well.
3. After 10 minutes, or once the water comes to a boil, break the spaghetti in half.
4. Add it to the water and boil for 12 minutes.
5. Once the spaghetti is done, drain the hot water, and rinse with cold water for about 2 minutes.
   (Let it sit for about 10 minutes to dry a bit.)
6. Meanwhile, peel and chop up the shrimp.
7. Shred the imitation crab meat and chop the lobster meat into small pieces.
8. Chop the onions into small pieces, peel and dice the cucumber, then slice the tomatoes in half.
9. Add the spaghetti to a big mixing bowl.
10. Add in the dressing and seasonings, then fold well.
    
    
11. Add in the chopped seafood and vegetables, then fold well.
    
    
12. Garnish the salad with parsley flakes.
13. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate to chill.
    
    

Tips for best results:

• Break the spaghetti in half: Spaghetti is LONG, so when you add it to a hot pot of boiling water, it leans on the top edge of the pot and burn. You don’t want that, so breaking the spaghetti in half will ensure it all fits in the pot as soon as you add it. I also like to break it in half because it makes the spaghetti easier to eat and easier to stir when combining all the ingredients.
• Don’t overcook the spaghetti: Boil the spaghetti until it’s al dente. If you let it go too long, it will bloat up and turn into a soft, mushy mess. The Spaghetti will soak up the condiments and soften even more as it sits in the fridge. Start with firm spaghetti so it keeps some texture by the time you’re ready to serve it.
• Rinse Spaghetti with cool water: As soon as you drain the spaghetti, rinse it with cool water for 30 to 40 seconds. This instantly stops the cooking process and washes away excess starch, so your Spaghetti doesn’t stick together.
• Control the moisture: Let the spaghetti sit in the colander to steam off excess water before mixing. If you rinse the vegetables, make sure they’re thoroughly patted dry. Make sure the seafood is drained well and all your ingredients are as dry as possible before combining everything. Excess moisture can dilute the dressing and ruin the salad’s creaminess and flavor.
• Chop small: Chop the shrimp, crab, and lobster into small pieces so the seafood is evenly distributed throughout the salad. This way, you get a little bit of each type of seafood in every bite.
• Use the right amount of dressing: Start with 16 ounces of dressing and add more if needed. Spaghetti absorbs a lot of the dressing as it sits in the refrigerator. So if you’re making the salad a day in advance, let it chill, then stir in the dressing right before serving.

Serving suggestions:

Below are a few things I personally enjoy eating with this salad. This tastes good with any meat, really, but the couple below are my favorite meats to eat it with, and I’m sure you’ll love them too.

• Fried chicken: There’s something about the crispy fried chicken and creamy Italian dressing combo that makes this the perfect union. So if you’re looking for a main dish to serve this with, FRIED CHICKEN will work every time.
• Seared steak: This creamy spaghetti seafood Salad would pair well with a nice, juicy, pan-seared steak. That combo sounds great, and I haven’t even had these together before.
• Grilled BBQ meat: This creamy spaghetti seafood salad is one of those salads you take to a summer cookout, as it pairs well with anything grilled, like BBQ chicken or ribs. That combo is guaranteed to give your taste buds a foodgasm.

Storage

To keep the salad fresh for as long as possible, make sure it’s tightly covered. You can leave it right in the serving bowl wrapped securely with plastic wrap or foil, or transfer it to an airtight container with a tight lid. Just pop it in the fridge on the bottom rack to keep it perfectly chilled.

Frequently Asked Questions:

• How long does the salad last? 3 days is the golden rule. It rarely makes it through the 2nd day in my house!
• How to double or triple recipes? If you want to scale the recipe up, just double or triple the amount of each ingredient. You’ll obviously need more water and either a bigger pot or multiple pots, since you’ll be boiling more Spaghetti.
• Why is the salad soupy? It looks that way because of the amount of condiments we added. If the salad looks “wet” and “soupy,” don’t worry—it will stiffen after a few hours as it chills in the refrigerator.
• How do I fix a runny salad? Just add more spaghetti to absorb the excess moisture. You may have to add a little more seasoning since more pasta was added.
• Can people allergic to seafood eat this? Likely not. This is because imitation lobster typically contains artificial lobster extracts, and I believe this may negatively affect someone allergic to seafood. It also contains real seafood like the lump crab meat and pre-cooked shrimp, so NO, don’t chance it!

Equipment:

Here are the cooking utensils you’ll need for this recipe. Make sure you have as many as possible. That’ll make it easier to prepare this recipe.

• Large pot: Have a large pot to boil the spaghetti.
• Colander: Make sure you have a colander to drain the spaghetti.
• Large Serving Bowl: We’ll be using this to combine and serve the salad.
• Potato Peeler: Potato peelers make it easy to peel the skin of a cucumber.
• Knife: A knife is for chopping the seafood and vegetables
• Big Spoon: Use a big spoon to combine the salad and serve.
• Measuring Cups: Measuring cups are great for accurately measuring the amount of vegetables and dressing you’re using.
• Measuring Spoons: Use measuring spoons to accurately measure the seasonings.

I’m done boring y’all for now! Trust me when I say this Creamy Spaghetti Seafood Salad is the BOMB.COM. Give it a shot, and be sure to leave a comment below to let me know how it turned out for you.

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Enjoy, later!

PBJ~

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