Garden Pasta Salad

© Dotdash Meredith. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

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 to add protein and make it more substantial.

Prep/Cook Time: 35 Minutes, Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole-wheat rotini (6 ounces)
• ⅓ cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
• ⅓ cup low-fat plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar or lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ⅛ 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)
• ½ cup chopped scallions (4 scallions)
• ½ cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
• ⅓ cup slivered fresh basil

Directions

1. 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.
2. 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.

Nutritional Information

Per Serving: 197 Calories, Total Fat: 8 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 1 mg, Carbohydrates: 29 g, Fiber: 4 g, Total Sugars: 5 g, Added Sugars: 0 g, Protein: 6 g, Sodium: 290 mg, Potassium: 269 mg, Folate: 31 mcg, Calcium: 68 mg