Ingredients are key to healthy eating. You can make almost dish and still eat with wellness and health in mind. No matter how unhealthy the original, most recipes can be made more healthy by tweaking the ingredients. The tricky part is mastering the art of not effecting taste and texture any more than you can help.
Fortunately, when it comes to pasta salad, this is too easy!
Pasta Salad Basics
Start with a healthy pasta. Healthy = high fiber without losing flavor or adding an odd, grainy texture. The solution is Ronzoni Smart Taste Pasta. I like to use the Rotini. Cook pasta according to package directions (8 minutes of cook time) and the drain off water. Let it sit for about 20 minutes to cool while you cup up your add-ins (see below).
Start with a healthy pasta. Healthy = high fiber without losing flavor or adding an odd, grainy texture. The solution is Ronzoni Smart Taste Pasta. I like to use the Rotini. Cook pasta according to package directions (8 minutes of cook time) and the drain off water. Let it sit for about 20 minutes to cool while you cup up your add-ins (see below).
Next, the dressing. I love Italian on Pasta salad! Although ranch is an acceptable alternative if you are looking for something different. I prefer to skip the preservatives in most prepared dressings, the bad fats in veggie oil and the MSG in most dry dressing mixes. (P.S. Autolyzed Yeast extract is also MSG.)
My dressing of choice is Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix. Make it with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and you have a dressing made with GOOD FAT and no preservative. One package of dressing prepared according to the package directions is enough dressing for 1 pound of pasta plus 3 - 4 cups of additional ingredients (see options below).
To make the dressing for my pasta salad, I use Pompeian OlivExtra Plus with Omega-3 DHA. The flavor is outstanding and the health benefits are astonishing. More details here.
The vinegar of choice is red wine vinegar. I love the flavor it gives this salad. All vinegars are helpful for keeping cholesterol, triglyceride levels and blood pressure levels in check. They also lower glucose and insulin response and to decrease the diabetic's sensitivity to carbohydrates and starch. They may also be beneficial in fighting infection.
Another vinegar that is wonderful with this dressing is apple cider vinegar.
Additional, healthy add-ins:
Now that's something to sing about!
"Funiculì, Funiculà"
"Funiculì, Funiculà" is a famous song written by Italian journalist Peppino Turco and set to music by Italian composer Luigi Denza in 1880.
Here sung by a varied selection of veggies in a Classy Songs with Larry segment - what could be more appropriate to go with pasta salad?
My dressing of choice is Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix. Make it with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and you have a dressing made with GOOD FAT and no preservative. One package of dressing prepared according to the package directions is enough dressing for 1 pound of pasta plus 3 - 4 cups of additional ingredients (see options below).
To make the dressing for my pasta salad, I use Pompeian OlivExtra Plus with Omega-3 DHA. The flavor is outstanding and the health benefits are astonishing. More details here.
The vinegar of choice is red wine vinegar. I love the flavor it gives this salad. All vinegars are helpful for keeping cholesterol, triglyceride levels and blood pressure levels in check. They also lower glucose and insulin response and to decrease the diabetic's sensitivity to carbohydrates and starch. They may also be beneficial in fighting infection.
Another vinegar that is wonderful with this dressing is apple cider vinegar.
Additional, healthy add-ins:
- Chopped Tomato (Roma is best because it is firm, but any will work.)
- Sliced Olives, - green, black, or both
- Diced fresh peppers - red, yellow, green
- Turkey pepperoni or diced turkey ham (2 - 3 oz per 1 pound of pasta)
- Reduced fat or fat free cheeses (6 - 8 oz): cheddar, Monterrey jack, mozzarella, Parmesan, or whatever you like best
- 2 - 3 tablespoon real bacon bits (which is surprisingly lean)
- 1 tablespoons total of any or all of the following:Italian seasoning, basil, parsley
Now that's something to sing about!
"Funiculì, Funiculà"
"Funiculì, Funiculà" is a famous song written by Italian journalist Peppino Turco and set to music by Italian composer Luigi Denza in 1880.
Here sung by a varied selection of veggies in a Classy Songs with Larry segment - what could be more appropriate to go with pasta salad?
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