How to Make a Healthy Pasta Salad

Include avocados in your salad, which are rich in antioxidants and potassium.

Use a recipe that includes a variety of vegetables to create a healthy pasta salad, a staple side dish for picnics and barbecues. This pasta salad recipe includes directions for a light and healthy dressing made from vinegar and walnut or grapeseed oil, which are healthier alternatives to olive oil. The recipe also uses whole-grain pasta rather than enriched pasta. Whole grain pasta contains a higher quantity of fiber and still has the vitamins and minerals that standard pastas lose during the refining process.

Things You'll Need

• 3 cups whole-grain fusilli pasta
• 1/2 cup drained corn
• Half of a red pepper
• 10 black olives
• 4 spring onions
• 2 medium avocados
• 2 sun-dried tomato halves
• 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 1/2 minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 tbsp. grapeseed or walnut oil
• 1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil

Instructions

1. Fill the bottom of a pan with water and place it on a stove burner at high heat. Place the sun-dried tomatoes in the water. Once the water begins to boil, reduce the heat to low and allow the tomatoes to simmer for 3 minutes or until tender.

2. Chop the tomatoes into small pieces and place them into a food processor along with the vinegar, garlic, salt and oil. Process on high speed until well blended. Stir in the basil after processing. This will be the dressing for the pasta salad.

3. Cook the fusilli pasta by following the directions on the box. Taste the pasta to ensure it is tender before draining.

4. Drain 1/2 cup of canned corn and place it in a large bowl. Dice the red pepper, slice the olives and finely chop the spring onions before also adding them to the bowl.

5. Add the pasta and dressing to the bowl and toss until well mixed.

6. Peel the avocados before cutting them into small cubes and gently mixing them into the pasta salad.

Tips & Warnings

• The recipe makes 6 servings.

References

• "American Home Cooking"; Frances Cleary; 1993
• MSNBC: Benefits of Whole Grain Pasta

Resources

• Mayo Clinic: Heart-Healthy Recipes