A Healthy Pasta Salad

A Healthy Pasta Salad

I recently was going through my cookbooks as I need to bring a pasta salad to an upcoming event.  I was looking for a healthy pasta salad recipe that included a number of healthy ingredients.  During my search which was not producing many options, I came across this formula for making a healthy, great tasting pasta salad.

 4 cups cooked pasta + 4 cups chopped vegetables + 1-2 cups lean protein + ½ -1 cup flavor booster +3/4 cup dressing  =  great tasting pasta salad.          

  

1.       Chose whole-wheat pasta.  I selected bow ties, so cooked three cups of dry pasta to get four cups of cooked pasta.

2.       Select vegetables.  I thawed frozen peas, added some mushrooms and a little onion to equal four cups.

3.       Add lean protein.  I considered options like hard-boiled eggs, cooked chicken breast, cooked ham, beans and tuna.  I selected diced ham.

4.       For a burst of flavor, I considered dried cranberries, cheese, olives, salami and sun-dried tomatoes.  I chose ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese.

5.       For a dressing, I wanted something healthy.  I made a buttermilk dressing with low-fat mayonnaise, buttermilk, a little salt and some fresh dill.