Garden Pasta Salad

From EatingWell: June/July 2005, EatingWell for a Healthy Heart Cookbook — Subscribe Now!

This lightly dressed pasta salad gets lots of flavor from kalamata olives and basil. A colorful mix of diced bell pepper, shredded carrot and tomatoes adds vitamins and minerals. Serve on a crisp bed of greens. Toss in canned chunk light tuna, cooked chicken or flavored baked tofu (see Note) to add protein and make it more substantial.

6 servings, 1 cup each

Active Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Nutrition Profile

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
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar, or lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
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
1/3 cup slivered fresh basil

Preparation

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.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.

Ingredient note: Precooked “baked tofu” is firmer than water-packed tofu and comes in a wide variety of flavors. You might also like flavored baked tofu on a sandwich or in a stir-fry.

Nutrition

Per serving: 205 calories; 9 g fat (2 g sat, 5 g mono); 1 mg cholesterol; 29 g carbohydrates; 6 g protein; 4 g fiber; 291 mg sodium; 269 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (97% daily value), Vitamin A (70% dv), Fiber (17% dv).

2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 2 fat (mono)