Crab Pasta Bake: This delicious combination of pasta, Alfredo, cheeses, and crab, create a delicious casserole that’s easy enough for a quick dinner idea!
The Old Bay Seasoning adds the perfect Cajun kick, and the comforting Alfredo flavors are a great combination with the spices. (You’ll also love this Blackened Chicken Alfredo if you love a good “kick” in flavor.)
We absolutely love using imitation crab meat at home because of its flavor and because of how easy it is to add to dishes. We used it in this crab salad recipe, this Copycat Subway Crab Sandwich, and even in this crab bisque!
Although you can use real crab in this crab pasta bake, imitation crab can be more affordable and easier to find. So feel free to use either lump crab meat or imitation for this hearty casserole.
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Why This Recipe Works
- Quick Recipe: With the easy ingredients this recipe uses, they come together quickly and before you know it, you can put it in the oven for baking and then it’s ready to serve!
- Double Recipe for Freezer Meals: If you love meal prepping, you can make a double batch of this, and freeze the second casserole if desired.
Ingredients Needed
I’ve highlighted a couple of ingredients with some relevant notes. Aside from this, the ingredients needed are pretty basic.
- Cajun Seasoning – We use Old Bay Seasoning for this crab pasta bake but feel free to use your favorite brand of cajun or creole seasonings. Then if you’re looking for a way to use that extra Old Bay Seasoning, try this air fryer shrimp!
- Mozzarella – We love shredding our own mozzarella because it creates a more creamy texture. Store-bought, pre-shredded mozzarella cheese usually has a powdery substance on it that can make the cheese not as creamy.
- Butter – You can use salted or unsalted butter. However, keep in mind when adding additional salt to the recipe if you used salted butter or unsalted.
Substitutions
Sometimes substitutions are necessary because of ingredients that are unavailable or needed for dietary restrictions. Here are some suggestions that can help:
- Pasta – Although we use penne pasta for this, you can use your favorite shape of pasta for this recipe! Angel hair pasta, bowtie pasta, pasta shells, are just a few examples of what may be delicious in this recipe too!
- Crab – fresh crab is of course a tastier option, however, it can be expensive and hard to find. So keeping imitation crab on hand can be a great substitute.
- Cheese – This recipe uses 2 different kinds of cheese for topping: mozzarella and shredded parmesan. If you prefer to use a different cheese for the mozzarella and shredded parmesan for the topping, you can! Swiss cheese, Monterey jack cheese, white cheddar cheese, and mild cheddar, are great choices to use if needed.
Variations
Want to make this crab casserole recipe but looking to change some things up? Go for it! Here are some suggestions:
- Seafood – if you want to make this recipe but are not a fan of crab, you can make a similar seafood pasta bake using shrimp, salmon, scallops, or other types of fish! We love shrimp recipes, so if you do too, make sure you see this reader favorite, fried shrimp and this shrimp baked potato!
- Seasoning – Cajun seasonings can be switched out for Italian seasonings if it’s too spicy for you, and it will become more of an Italian pasta dish.
How to Make this Crab Pasta Bake
This delicious recipe is broken into 3 components:
- cooking the pasta
- making the creamy sauce
- baking the casserole dish
While your pasta is boiling, gather the rest of the ingredients for easy prep later!
*Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions!*
STEP 1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Cook Pasta
STEP 1. Cook pasta. You’ll begin by cooking your pasta, and depending on the type of pasta you’re using, could depend on how long it takes for it to come to al dente. Follow the package directions for cooking (Image 1) usually about 10 minutes of cook time, then drain, rinse, and set aside (Image 2).
Tip: Cook pasta until it is JUST al dente. You don’t want overcooked pasta. Then, rinse pasta in cool water to stop the cooking process. Make sure to drain well so the water does not make your baked casserole watery.
Make Alfredo Sauce
STEP 2. Make Alfredo. In a medium saucepan, add butter, heavy cream, and cream cheese, and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the butter and cream cheese have melted (Image 3). Or you can choose to make my homemade Alfredo sauce recipe.
STEP 3. Add seasonings. When melted, add in the Old Bay Seasoning, minced garlic, salt and pepper (Image 4). Stir to combine.
STEP 4. Add grated parmesan. Whisk in grated parmesan cheese in to the cream mixture, turn heat to low, and whisk and cook over low heat to simmer for 2-3 more minutes (Image 5).
STEP 5. Pour creamy sauce on pasta. Pour the Alfredo sauce over the pasta and stir to combine (Image 6).
STEP 6. Add crab. Next, pour the crab meat over pasta (breaking larger pieces in to the smaller pieces if needed) and stir to combine (Images 7 & 8).
Assemble Pasta Bake Casserole
STEP 7. Assemble Layers. Pour half of the creamy Alfredo mixture in to a 9×13 ovenproof dish or casserole dish (Image 9).
STEP 8. Top with half of mozzarella. Sprinkle with half of the mozzarella cheese, spreading it evenly over the top of the pasta in the dish (Image 10).
STEP 9. Add remaining pasta. Layer remaining pasta on top of the mozzarella cheese in the baking dish (Image 11).
STEP 10. Add remaining cheese. Sprinkle on remaining mozzarella cheese and shredded parmesan cheese, spreading it evenly over the casserole (Image 12).
STEP 11. Bake. Place the casserole in the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes until heated through and the cheese is a light golden brown on top (Image 13).
STEP 12. Optional. If desired, sprinkle chopped fresh parsley on top for color (Image 14).
Recipe Pro Tips
- More Mix-in Ideas: This crab pasta bake recipe is delicious as suggested, however if you’re looking to add more items to this recipe, you may want to try green onions, green pepper, red bell pepper, bread crumbs or crushed Ritz crackers to sprinkle on top before baking.
Recipe FAQs
Sometimes baking a pasta casserole uncovered can result in a dry casserole. If this is the case, you can cover the casserole with aluminum foil for the first 20 minutes and then remove foil to allow the cheese to become golden brown.
Or, if you have leftover pasta and it is reheated and it comes out dry, it could be because the pasta has absorbed some of the sauce. You can add a little heavy cream to moisten it back up if desired.
We rinse our pasta after boiling to stop the cooking process. For this recipe, I do recommend rinsing with cool water, as the pasta will heat back up in the oven.
This could be because your pasta wasn’t drained as much as it should have been.
Storage
Refrigerator: If you have leftovers of this crab pasta bake, allow the pasta to cool, and then place in the refrigerator in an airtight container, or cover with plastic wrap, for up to three days.
Freezing: If you want to freeze leftovers, or you have made a double batch, you can freeze the baked pasta. Simply make sure it’s in a freezer safe dish, and freeze up to 3 months.
Meal Prep: If you’re making a second batch, you can freeze the pasta before baking. When ready to eat, thaw in refrigerator overnight and then bake according to recipe directions.
Thaw: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and pop back in the oven at 350 degrees to warm through. (You may want to cover it with aluminum foil so the top does not burn before heating through.)
More Casserole Recipes You’ll Love
A baked pasta is a dinner that can be so comforting. This baked ravioli pasta is another great dish for an easy, comforting dinner. Or, if you love easy casserole recipes like this crab pasta bake, we think you’re really going to love these too:
Did you make this? I’d be so grateful if you left a “star” rating below to let me know what you thought! Then, the next time you need a quick and easy recipe, come back to Fantabulosity to browse all of my easy recipes!
Recipe
Crab Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 14 ounces imitation crab meat
- 16 ounces penne pasta + water for boiling
- 1 pint heavy cream
- ½ cup butter 1 stick
- 4 ounces cream cheese half of a block
- 1 teaspooon Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup grated parmesan
- 2 cups mozzarella shredded
- ¼ cup shredded parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Boil Pasta
- Cook pasta. You'll begin by cooking your pasta, and depending on the type of pasta you're using, could depend on how long it takes for it to come to al dente (usually about 10 minutes.) Follow the package directions for cooking, then drain, rinse, and set aside.
Make Alfredo Sauce
- Melt. In a medium saucepan, add butter, heavy cream, and cream cheese, and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the butter and cream cheese have melted.
- Add seasonings. When melted, add in the Old Bay Seasoning, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Add grated parmesan. Whisk in grated parmesan cheese in to the cream mixture, turn heat to low, and whisk and cook over low heat to simmer for 2-3 more minutes.
- Pour creamy sauce on pasta. Pour the Alfredo sauce over the pasta and stir to combine.
- Add crab. Next, pour the crab meat over pasta (breaking larger pieces in to the smaller pieces if needed) and stir to combine.
Layer the Casserole
- Assemble Layers. Pour half of the creamy Alfredo mixture in to a 9×13 ovenproof dish or casserole dish.
- Top with half of mozzarella. Sprinkle with half of the mozzarella cheese, spreading it evenly over the top of the pasta in the dish.
- Add remaining pasta. Layer remaining pasta on top of the mozzarella cheese in the baking dish.
- Add remaining cheese. Sprinkle on remaining mozzarella cheese and shredded parmesan cheese, spreading it evenly over the casserole.
Bake the Casserole
- Bake. Place the casserole in the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes until heated through and the cheese is a light golden brown on top.
- Optional. If desired, sprinkle chopped fresh parsley on top for color.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Sherry B says
I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious!
Jessica says
I’m so glad you liked it Sherry, thank you so much!
Brandy says
Great recipe! For my own taste buds I added more Old Bay seasoning, spinach and a chopped sautéd onion.
Jessica says
I love Old Bay a lot too, so I like to add more too, haha! Thank you for sharing!
Chris says
I doubled the garlic and added a big of frozen peas and carrots ( so the grandkids would get some veggies). Freakin’ delicious!
Jessica says
That’s amazing!! I love that you added peas and carrots! I’ll have to do that too! 🙂 Thank you for taking the time to leave a review and the 5-stars!
Jessica Bailey says
Okay this was so dang good! The whole family loved it and we can’t wait to make it again!
April says
My kids LOVE imitation crab meat! This was so good – they absolutely gobbled it up!
Jenn says
This was amazing!!!!! My family loved it, even the kids. I will definitely be making this again and again!