This healthy pasta salad is tossed with a light and creamy balsamic yogurt dressing, and mixed with vegetables and fresh herbs.
Every summer as a kid, I looked forward to my mum's pasta salad. It was dressed with mayonnaise, tossed with salmon or chicken (though this version is vegetarian) and, best of all, loaded with briny capers. My husband is not a mayo eater, so if I wanted to feed my family a version of my mum's salad, I needed to find an alternative way to add that "creamy" factor. That's where the yogurt comes in...plain, fat-free Greek yogurt, to be exact. When whisked with balsamic vinegar, garlic, agave nectar and just 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the yogurt turns into a creamy, low-fat vinaigrette that is brightened by the addition of fresh basil.
The variations for this pasta salad are endless. I chose to add sweet grape tomatoes, protein-rich cannellini beans and crisp romaine lettuce. However, you could take this in a completely different direction. Here are a few ideas:
Instead of cannellini beans, add:
- cooked, cubed chicken breast
- grilled salmon
- grilled, sauteed or baked pork tenderloin, chopped
Instead of tomatoes and romaine lettuce, add:
- broccoli
- blanched green beans
- steamed asparagus
- red bell peppers, raw or roasted
- grilled or lightly sauteed zucchini, yellow squash or eggplant
- spinach
Instead of capers, add:
- kalamata olives
- green olives
Or go in a different direction and add:
- sunflower seeds
- pine nuts
- slivered or sliced almonds
- hemp seeds
- dried cherries
- dried cranberries
Or add:
- feta cheese
- myzithra cheese
- goat cheese
The dressing is so versatile that it can support a range of flavors and textures. If the choice was up to me, however, I'd add an extra ¼ cup of capers when no one was looking. Heaven!
The recipe:
The dressing:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, balsamic vinegar, garlic, agave nectar (you can subsitute honey, if you prefer), salt and pepper.
While whisking the dressing constantly, slowly pour in the olive oil until the mixture is combined.
The salad:
Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
In a large bowl, mix together the pasta, tomatoes, romaine lettuce, cannellini beans and capers.
Pour in two-thirds of the dressing and mix well with the pasta salad. Taste and add more dressing, if desired.
Gently stir in basil. Add additional salt and pepper, if desired. Serve.
Other vegetarian pasta salad recipes:
Cookin' Canuck's Israeli Couscous with Grilled Summer Vegetables
The Perfect Pantry's Greek Pasta Salad with Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette
Edible Perspective's Lemon Dill Pasta Salad
Grown to Cook's Pasta Salad with Cauliflower, Broccoli & Mustard Vinaigrette
Pasta Salad with Balsamic Yogurt Dressing
Ingredients
The Dressing:
- ½ cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ¾ teaspoon agave nectar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
The salad:
- 13 ounce box whole wheat conghlie or rotini pasta
- 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 2 cups bite-sized pieces romaine lettuce
- 1 14 ounce can cannellini beans (I prefer Bush's)
- 3 tablespoons capers drained
- 10 large leaves basil thinly sliced
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
The Dressing:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, balsamic vinegar, garlic, agave nectar, salt and pepper.
- While whisking the dressing constantly, slowly pour in the olive oil until the mixture is combined.
The Salad:
- Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- In a large bowl, mix together the pasta, tomatoes, romaine lettuce, cannellini beans and capers.
- Pour in two-thirds of the dressing and mix well with the pasta salad. Taste and add more dressing, if desired.
- Gently stir in basil. Add additional salt and pepper, if desired. Serve.
Nutrition
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Kitty
I made the yogurt dressing for my regular green salad. Love it!!!