Eat Well LiveWell: Pasta Salad
September 10, 2017
The base of this recipe is whole wheat pasta, which provides fiber and protein. Adding vegetables serves as a nutritious crunch in this recipe, also providing different vitamins and minerals. The added benefit of vegetables is that they are fiber-rich and low in calories, which means you can have more of this pasta salad for fewer calories than the traditional recipe! Adding herbs and salty treats – like black olives, parmesan cheese and pepperoni – only adds to the flavor in this salad. Enjoy a scoop as your side dish or serve as a main course
Pasta Salad
Servings: 8
Preparation time: 35 minutes
Cook time: 10 minute
Ingredients:
- 1 (8 ounce) package uncooked, whole wheat rotini pasta
- ½ cup pepperoni, diced
- 6 ounces provolone cheese, cubed
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
- ¾ cup chopped green bell pepper
- ¾ cup chopped red bell pepper
- ½ cup black olives, pitted
- ¼ cup minced fresh parsley
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dry basil
- 1 teaspoon dry oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard seed
- Salt and pepper to taste (optional)
Directions:
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add rotini pasta, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente. Drain, and rinse with cold water.
- In a large bowl, mix the cooled pasta, pepperoni, provolone cheese, red onion, cucumber, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, olives, parsley and Parmesan cheese.
- In a jar with a lid, mix the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, basil, oregano, ground mustard, salt and pepper. Seal jar, and shake well.
- Pour the dressing mixture over the pasta salad, and toss to coat. Cover, and chill 8 hours in the refrigerator.
Nutritional Information:
300 Calories, 13g Protein, 17g Fat, 25g Carbohydrates, 3g Fiber, 404mg Sodium