With the mercury hovering in the 90s this weekend, here is a cool tasty salad that packs a lot of flavor. We make it often and it is a frequent potluck request. :-)
95% of what is cooked in this house are "light" recipes, meaning that they are either regular recipes that I have toned down to eliminate extra calories, fat, or sodium, etc. without sacrificing flavor OR they are recipes that started out light. This particular recipe came from Cooking Light Superfast Suppers and I adapted it to be even healthier and to suit my taste preferences.
I took a picture of the batch that Sean made last night.
Looks good doesn't it???? Try it yourself :-) My adaptations are in brackets. This recipe also lends itself well to being doubled+ for parties.
Pizza Pasta Salad
- 8 oz uncooked rotini pasta [I use whole wheat pasta]
- 1 (14oz) can artichoke hearts, drained & quartered [I use frozen from TJ's]
- 4 oz Turkey Pepperoni
- 6 oz part-skim mozzarella cheese [I use the non rubbery kind]
- 2 cups grape or sweet cheery tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 cup sliced olives
- 1 (12oz) jar roasted red peppers, drained [I have never used this because I dislike peppers]
- 1/3 cup reduced-fat Italian dressing [Use your favorite; most times we use fat free balsamic]
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, chiffonade [Very important to use fresh basil]
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt or fat; drain and rinse under cold water immediately. Placed drained pasta in a large serving bowl.
Combine artichoke hearts, pepperoni, cheese, tomatoes, & olives; set aside.
Place roasted peppers in the blender, and process until almost smooth. Stir in salad dressing, basil, and black pepper.
Add pepper mixture to pasta. Add artichoke mixture to pasta, and toss well. Yield 6 servings (serving size: 1 2/3 cup)
[Note: I add the dressing and basil right before serving because the pasta tends to soak up all the dressing it left sitting in the fridge. Also, when serving this salad as leftovers you might need to add additional dressing]
ENJOY! Let me know how you like it :-)
