Avocado and Crab Pasta Salad with Grapefruit Tarragon Vinaigrette

Some flavors were just meant to be together. Tomatoes and basil. Avocado and lime.

Oh! Tomatoes, basil, avocado and lime. Com’on, Summer!

But two flavors I never would’ve guessed are a match made in heaven are, well, a match made in heaven:

Crab and grapefruit.

Crazy, right? Or am I the last person on earth to try this combination, and I’ve been missing out all along? A little lime juice, a little tarragon, and, wow, such an amazing flavor topping my avocado and crab pasta salad. I think grapefruit will definitely be making its way into my citrus rotation for salad dressings this summer. Sooo good.

But you know what takes a really great salad to another level of yum? Fresh herbs. Tons of fresh herbs, especially tarragon for this recipe. It goes so well with seafood.

I’m a convert. A bonafide herbivore. Wait. Herb connoisseur. Herbisseur?

You’ll notice that many of my salad and pasta recipes call for lots of fresh herbs — more than seems right. But it’s sooo right.

See the photo above? Herb-flecked goodness.

Truth be told, I could eat a bowl of that with just some olive oil and a big squeeze of lemon.

Finally, a bit of confession time: I couldn’t find lump crab at my grocery store. Oh, they had crab legs — as in … legs … long, spindly, and frozen — but I was just making this avocado and crab pasta salad for lunch, and I didn’t want to mess with anything frozen. Or long and spindly. So, I reached for a package of imitation crab. Which I’ve actually never had before. At least, not intentionally.

And I have to say, it wasn’t what I expected. I mean, it wasn’t half bad as a salad ingredient. And you can’t beat the cost savings. So, in this recipe, I call for crab meat, but feel free to substitute the imitation stuff, if you’re okay with it.

Karen xo

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Avocado and Crab Pasta Salad with Grapefruit Tarragon Vinaigrette

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time25 minutes mins

Servings: 8

Author: Karen Gibson

Ingredients

for the grapefruit tarragon vinaigrette

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon leaves
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon agave
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

for the pasta salad

• 12 ounces pasta a small shape will do well here; I used mini penne
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped
• 1 pinch salt
• 8 ounces crab meat or imitation crab, sliced into chunks
• 1 avocado skin and pit removed, chopped
• 6 cherry tomatoes diced (about 1/3 cup)
• 1/4 cup diced cucumbers
• salt
• 2 ounces goat cheese crumbled

Instructions

for the grapefruit tarragon vinaigrette

• Add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk until combined. Set aside

for the pasta salad

• Prepare the pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse. Dump into a medium serving bowl and toss with olive oil, herbs, and salt.
• In a medium mixing bowl, add the crab meat, avocado, tomatoes, cucumbers, and a big pinch of salt. Drizzle in about half of the vinaigrette and toss gently to mix.
• Add the crab mixture to the pasta and toss gently. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the top, and sprinkle on the goat cheese.

Nutritional information, if shown, is provided as a courtesy only, and is not to be taken as medical information or advice. The nutritional values of your preparation of this recipe are impacted by several factors, including, but not limited to, the ingredient brands you use, any substitutions or measurement changes you make, and measuring accuracy.