Recipes

Easy Sweet and Tangy Summer Pasta Salad

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January 29, 2022
Taking On Healthy

Easy Sweet and Tangy Summer Pasta Salad

It’s hard to beat a classic pasta salad. Our colorful recipe comes together in minutes, and you don’t even have to turn on the oven. Its sweet and tangy flavor will make it a family favorite, and you’ll feel good about serving it because it’s packed with healthy vegetables and protein. For a heartier version with even more protein, just add cooked chicken breast or lean steak. Hint: A prepared rotisserie chicken at your local market is perfect for those busier days!

Try it for your next barbecue or potluck and share a pic with #TakingOnHealthy.

Ingredients

For the Salad

1 box rotini, cooked per instructions
1/2 to 1 onion, or chopped green onions
2 celery stalks, diced
2 carrots, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
A handful of your choice of greens — lettuce, arugula, spinach, etc.
1 can of white beans, rinsed and drained

Pro tip: You can add any vegetables you may have leftover in your fridge — corn, peas, broccoli, asparagus, etc.

For the Dressing

1 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon natural sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, or to taste

Directions:

Mix all the salad ingredients in a large bowl.
Place all the dressing ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk together until smooth.
Pour over salad, mix and serve.

“This is a great Mediterranean-diet friendly pasta salad to enjoy at home or to bring out to share. There’s a reason the Mediterranean diet has been ranked the #1 diet for the last 5 years in a row—it’s good for your heart, your waistline, and delicious too! Use whole-wheat pasta for extra fiber.”
Carolyn Schut, MS, RD, LD, CLC, Registered Dietitian, Health Plan of Nevada

Pro Tip: If this makes more than you need, just mix up enough for your meal and store the dressing and salad separately in the fridge.

Nutrition Information per Serving

Makes: 10 as a side dish