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Tomato Pasta Salad

Great make ahead-meal with fresh veggies, Italian herbs and a tangy dressing.
Kid friendly
Bowls of colorful spiral pasta with olives and broccoli.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Makes: 6 cups
Nutrition Facts: View label

Ingredients

4 cups cooked rotini pasta
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 cup chopped broccoli
¼ cup sliced black olives
2 teaspoons dry Italian herbs
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces low-fat Italian salad dressing (about 1 cup)

Directions

  1. Wash hands with soap and water.
  2. Rinse or scrub fresh vegetables under running water before preparing.
  3. Combine the cooked pasta, tomatoes, broccoli and black olives together in a bowl.
  4. Add the herbs, cheese and salad dressing. Stir together and refrigerate until ready to serve.
  5. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.



    Photo and recipe adapted from Nutrition Matters.

Notes

  • Try adding other vegetables such as corn, cucumber and avocado.
  • Try whole-wheat pasta.
  • Low-fat vinaigrette salad dressing also works in this recipe.

Comments

I seem to always have some kind of noodle at home and some Italian dressing somewhere in my fridge....thus this recipe is a super accessible one for me!  For the rest of the ingredients, I add what I have on hand.  This is one of my go-to packed lunches I make for myself -- for a couple of days at a time.

We substituted 2 cups of asparagus instead of the broccoli, and high school students loved it! 

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