Recipe: Dilled Pasta Salad with Spring Vegetables

Skip those soupy store-bought pasta salads! This colorful, fresh, and bright-tasting side is sure to liven up your next outdoor gathering.

Number of servings: 8

Serving size: 3/4 cup

Ingredients

For the dressing:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons rice or white wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons dill weed
• Cracked black pepper, to taste

For the salad:

• 3 cups uncooked whole-grain shell pasta, medium-sized
• 8 asparagus spears, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup sliced green peppers
• 1/2 cup chopped green (spring) onions

Directions

To make the dressing, in a small bowl add the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, dill weed and black pepper. Whisk to mix evenly. Set aside.

To make the salad, fill a large pot 3/4 full with water and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until tender (al dente), 10 to 12 minutes, or according to the package directions. Drain the pasta thoroughly and rinse under cold water.

In a small saucepan, cover the asparagus with water. Bring to a boil and cook only until tender-crisp, about 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water.

In a large bowl, add the pasta, asparagus, tomatoes, green peppers, onions and dressing. Toss to mix evenly.

Cover and refrigerate. Serve chilled.

Nutritional analysis per serving:

• Calories – 160
• Total Fat – 8 g
• Saturated fat – 1 g
• Trans fat – 0 g
• Monounsaturated fat – 5 g
• Cholesterol – 0 mg
• Sodium – 11 mg
• Total carbohydrate – 23 g
• Dietary fiber – 4 g
• Added Sugars – 0 g
• Protein – 4 g

For this recipe and more, visit Mayo Clinic Healthy Recipes