When you want a rich seafood supper without stretching a pound of crab into bankruptcy, this Crab Newburg over Old Bay Pasta does the job nicely. A quick seasoned cream sauce turns a modest amount of crab into a full family meal, and serving it over spiced pasta gives the whole dish more flavor than plain noodles ever could.
Part of learning how to feed a family of 4 for less than 0 a month is learning how to take advantage of the resources you have on hand. In this particular case, this entire delectable Crab dish cost less than .50 to feed the entire family, including leftovers for a second meal.
We live on the East Coast and had the pleasure of taking advantage of the recreational crabbing that is available here. Last fall we spent a fun weekend crabbing, which resulted in several packages of delicious crab meat being packed away into the freezer to enjoy later in the season.
If you already have Make Your Own Old Bay Pasta on hand, you’re halfway there. The sauce comes together fast, so have the pasta cooked and ready before you start if you like dinner to hit the table without unnecessary drama.
A little butter, flour, milk, and sherry build the sauce, while paprika and Old Bay keep it from tasting flat and forgettable. If you’re using canned crab, drain it well so the sauce stays silky instead of watery.
Ingredients for Crab Newburg over Old Bay Pasta
- 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 1/2 cup sherry
- 1 1/2 cups crab meat or cooked shrimp
- Cooked Old Bay Pasta or freshly baked biscuits, for serving
- 1 to 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)
If you use cooking sherry, remember it’s already salted. That means you should taste the finished sauce before adding anything else. It’s much easier to fix a bland sauce than an over-salted one, and that’s just kitchen law.
How to Make Crab Newburg over Old Bay Pasta
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Whisk in the flour, paprika, and Old Bay seasoning until smooth.
- Cook the seasoned roux briefly, stirring constantly, until it browns slightly.
- Slowly add the water, whisking as you pour to keep the sauce smooth.
- Add the milk and continue stirring over medium heat until the mixture comes to a light boil.
- Pour in the sherry and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce is thick and smooth.
- Fold in the crab meat gently and cook just until warmed through.
- Spoon the hot Crab Newburg over cooked Old Bay Pasta or split biscuits.
- Top with chopped parsley if you want a little color.
Keep the heat moderate once the crab goes in. The sauce only needs enough time to warm the seafood through, not boil it into rubbery surrender.
Tips for the Best Crab Newburg
Whisk the flour into the butter completely before adding liquid. That quick step prevents lumps and gives you a smoother sauce from the start.
Add the milk gradually and keep stirring. If you dump it in all at once and wander off, the sauce may clump or scorch, and nobody wants to explain that at dinner.
Use drained crab and fold it in gently at the end. Crab is delicate, and over-stirring breaks it into shreds instead of leaving you nice pieces throughout the sauce.
Easy Variations
Swap the crab for cooked shrimp if that’s what you have. The recipe already allows it, and shrimp makes a sturdy weeknight version that still works beautifully with the seasoned cream sauce.
Serve it over biscuits instead of pasta for a more old-fashioned supper plate. The sauce is rich enough to stand in for gravy, which is never a bad thing.
If you want a little more color and freshness, stir in chopped parsley at the end. It won’t change the flavor much, but it does make the plate look less beige, and sometimes that matters.
Storage and Leftovers
Refrigerate leftovers in a shallow airtight container within 2 hours of cooking. For best safety and quality, use them within 3 to 4 days. The USDA leftover food safety guidance follows that same window for cooked leftovers.
Reheat gently on the stovetop or in short microwave bursts, stirring often. Add a splash of milk if the sauce tightens up in the fridge.
You can freeze it, but the sauce may separate a bit after thawing because cream-style sauces rarely come back perfectly smooth. If you do freeze it, use it within about 2 months for the best quality and whisk it well while reheating.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Crab Newburg over Old Bay Pasta if you want the seafood seasoning to carry through the whole plate. It’s the best fit for the sauce and keeps the dish from tasting one-note.
Fresh biscuits work well too, especially if you want something hearty and simple. Add a green vegetable or crisp salad on the side to cut the richness a little.
If you love seasoned pasta dinners, you might also like The Do’s and Don’ts of Perfect Pasta for practical pasta tips that keep the base from turning gummy under a cream sauce.
💸 Budget101® Price Breakdown: Crab Newburg over Old Bay Pasta
🛒 Walmart Grocery List
- Salted Butter, 16 oz
- All-Purpose Flour, 5 lb
- Paprika, 2.12 oz
- Old Bay Seasoning, 6 oz
- Whole Milk, 1 Gallon
- Cooking Sherry, 16 fl oz
- Lump Crab Meat, 6 oz
- Spaghetti Pasta, 16 oz
- Fresh Parsley, 1 bunch
Not sure exactly what this batch costs you per serving? Here’s how to break down the real cost of any recipe so you know before you shop.
Frequently Asked Questions about Crab Newburg over Old Bay Pasta
Absolutely. Drain it well and fold it in at the end so the sauce stays thick and the crab pieces don’t break down too much. Fresh crab gives you a sweeter flavor, but canned crab is a very workable budget shortcut here.
A light white wine works best if you need a substitute. Use the same 1/2 cup amount, and choose something mild rather than oaky or sweet so it doesn’t bully the crab. If you’re using cooking sherry, remember it’s saltier than regular drinking wine.
Yes, and it’s an easy swap. Use about 1 1/2 cups cooked shrimp, chopped into bite-size pieces if they’re large, then warm them in the sauce just long enough to heat through. Overcooked shrimp turns chewy fast, which is rude considering the price of shrimp.
The liquid probably went in too fast, or the flour and butter weren’t smoothed out first. Whisk the roux until it’s fully blended, then add the water and milk gradually while stirring. If it still gets a few lumps, a firm whisking before you add the crab usually straightens it out.
Pull it off the heat as soon as it’s smooth and coats a spoon. If it keeps cooking, it’ll continue tightening, especially once it cools a little. A splash or two of milk will loosen it back up without changing the flavor much.
You can, but use a wider saucepan so the sauce still thickens evenly. Double every ingredient exactly, then add the seafood last and warm it gently. A crowded deep pot makes it easier to scorch the bottom before the top is ready.
Biscuits are the built-in second option, and they’re excellent for catching every drop of sauce. A simple green salad, steamed green beans, or peas also help balance the richness without adding much work.
You can make it a bit ahead, but it’s best the same day. If you need a head start, prepare the sauce base and refrigerate it, then reheat gently and add the crab just before serving so the seafood stays tender and the sauce tastes fresher.
Use low heat and stir often. Add a tablespoon or two of milk before reheating if the sauce looks stiff from the fridge, then warm it just until hot. Boiling leftover cream sauce is the fastest way to make it look tired.
Plan on about 4 servings over pasta for a main dish. That gives each person a good ladle of sauce with seafood in every portion, especially if you’re serving a vegetable or salad on the side.
📌 Love this Crab Newburg over Old Bay Pasta? Pin it!
Did you make this recipe? Tell us how you served it and what you paired with it in the comments. Your shortcut, swap, or side dish idea might help the next busy cook.
🖨️ Print-Friendly Crab Newburg over Old Bay Pasta
Crab Newburg over Old Bay Pasta
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- ¾ cup water
- 1 ¼ cups milk
- ½ cup sherry
- 1 ½ cups crab meat or cooked shrimp
- Cooked Old Bay Pasta or freshly baked biscuits for serving
- 1 to 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley optional
Equipment
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Whisk in the flour, paprika, and Old Bay seasoning until smooth.
- Cook briefly, stirring constantly, until the roux browns slightly.
- Slowly whisk in the water, then the milk, and bring the mixture to a light boil over medium heat.
- Add the sherry and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the sauce is thick and smooth.
- Fold in the crab meat gently and warm through.
- Serve hot over cooked Old Bay Pasta or split biscuits.
- Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired.
Recipe Size Alteration
💡 If you altered the ingredients above by doubling or tripling the recipe, you may also need to change the pan/dish size and adjust the cook time.
Notes
Estimated cost uses current online ingredient pricing and will vary by store, brand, and season.
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and use within 3 to 4 days.
Freeze for up to 2 months for best quality, though the cream sauce may separate slightly after thawing.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!
But let’s be realistic here. Very few are going to get crab meat for free and you can’t buy Old Bay seasoning or a bag of flour for 3 cents. This is, at the very least, a $30 meal.
I’m being Very realistic. I think perhaps you misunderstand how to calculate the cost of a recipe.
If you add a splash of milk to your coffee, in your mind, did that cup of coffee just cost you $12. because you used a splash of milk and a teaspoon of sugar in it? I mean, by your calculations the container of coffee was $8, the milk was $2, and the sugar was $2, therefore that cup of coffee was $12.
It’s not correct to add all of the ingredients. The correct way to figure the cost of a recipe is to add what you actually USE in the recipe.
You’re not using an entire Bag of flour in the recipe, you’re using three tablespoons.
a 5lb bag of flour is $2.29. There are 20 cups of flour in 5lbs. There are 16 tablespoons per cup which equal 320 Tbs per 5lb bag. Which means that it actually costs .007cents per Tablespoon, therefore the amount of flour in this recipe actually costs you 3¢.
This meal is dirt cheap, even if you have to purchase a can of crabmeat to make it. I could easily make this recipe 20 times for $30!
Here’s how to Properly figure out the cost of a recipe: https://www.budget101.com/frugal-living/4917-how-to-calculate-the-cost-of-a-recipe/
I really enjoyed your crab newburg sauce, but I wanted to share the recipe my mom gave me years ago.
This sauce is by far the best in flavor for crab, shrimp, or lobster newburg. I really found that the addition of curry powder really made the difference and most closely resembled the restaurant version we tried.
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch cayenne
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 shallot, minced
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup dry sherry
Put the flour, paprika, curry powder, nutmeg, cayenne, and salt in a small bowl and stir until combined. Set aside. Melt the butter over low heat in a large saucepan. Cook the shallot for 3 minutes until it begins to brown. Add the flour mixture to the browned shallot and stir until mixed well with the butter. Slowly whisk in the milk and tomato paste to the shallot and bring the mixture to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat; be careful not to let it boil over. Add the sherry and whisking constantly until the mix is creamy and thick.
Sounds wonderful! Need to try!
This recipe is a seafood lover’s dream! 🦀🍝 The Old Bay seasoning gives the pasta such a great flavor, and the creamy crab sauce is next-level.
For those looking to stretch the meal a little further, I’ve found adding shrimp or even imitation crab works well too. 🍤💸 Any tips on what wine pairs best with this dish? It seems like a light white would be perfect!
Does this work with imitation crab meat?