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I love pasta salad - but I always avoid it at restaurants because it's usually LOADED with fat and calories, and has very low nutritional value! I was looking for healthier versions of pasta salad to take to a potluck - and I came across this recipe from EatingWell.com. It looks great and I'm looking forward to making it this weekend! The whole grains, low fat dressing and tons of veggies really increase the health value of this recipe. Add a little parmesean cheese or flavored/baked tofu for protein, and it's a one dish meal!
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Ingredients- 2 cups whole-wheat rotini, (6 ounces)
- 1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup low-fat plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (I'll probably try using only 1 tbsp to start)
- 1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar, or lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced (I might add 2 more cloves of garlic because I really like garlic!)
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup diced yellow or red bell pepper, (1 small)
- 1 cup grated carrots, (2-4 carrots)
- 1/2 cup chopped scallions, (4 scallions)
- 1/2 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives (I'm not a huge fan of olives so I'd probably cut this down to 1/4 cup)
- I think I'll probably also add baby spinach, chopped
- 1/3 cup slivered fresh basil
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes, or according to package directions. Drain and refresh under cold running water.
- Whisk mayonnaise, yogurt, oil, vinegar (or lemon juice), garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl until smooth. Add the pasta and toss to coat. Add tomatoes, bell pepper, carrots, scallions, olives and basil; toss to coat well.
Calories: 205; 9 g fat
Protein: 6 g
Fiber: 4 g
