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Pasta Salad Recipe

Pasta Salad Recipe

Summer gatherings and pasta salads are synonymous -- light, tasty, colorful, and most importantly, convenient! Just about every backyard chef has his or her own favorite recipe to share with family and friends.

Dreamfields pasta wants to tap into American culinary creativity by calling all home cooks to enter a unique pasta salad recipe in the "Dreamfields Pasta Salad Summer Extravaganza." Each week from Memorial Day through Labor Day, one entrant will win a free case (12 packages) of Dreamfields pasta for a total of 14 winners throughout the summer. How to celebrate is up to the winners, but with all that free pasta perhaps a backyard bash full of fun, friends and delicious healthy pasta creations is in order.

To enter your personal picnic masterpiece, visit www.TryDreamfields.com/pastasalad, follow Dreamfields on Facebook or @HealthyPasta on Twitter for directions.Pasta salad entries must be original recipes with 10 or fewer ingredients. Entries will be judged on taste, creativity and convenience. Just looking for inspiration? All entered recipes will be viewable via the contest page.

"With 5 grams of fiber and only 5 digestible carbs per one cup cooked pasta, Dreamfields gives summer's quintessential side dish a healthy twist," said Mike Crowley, president of Dreamfields. "Now people with diabetes, watching their weight or just interested in eating healthier can feel better about enjoying apasta salad at their next cookout, graduation party or backyard dinner."

Potluck Pasta Salad is an example of the perfect punctuation to any warm weather meal. Ready in about half an hour, this pasta salad can be customized to feature the season's freshest ingredients, pantry and fridge staples and family favorites.


POTLUCK PASTA SALAD
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes


1 box Dreamfields Rotini or Penne Rigate
4 cups mix-ins (see below)
Dressing: Herbed Vinaigrette (recipe follows)


1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain again.

2. Add desired mix-ins and half of dressing. Toss to coat. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until chilled; toss before serving. Add additional dressing, as desired.

Makes 8 servings.

Suggested Mix-Ins:


Crisp-tender cooked vegetables: green beans, broccoli, asparagus, corn, sugar snap peas, green peas, edamame, zucchini, yellow squash
Raw vegetables: shredded or sliced carrots, tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, celery, avocado, spinach, radish, onions
Other: olives, cheese - shredded or crumbled, herbs
Meats: Salami strips, cooked chicken, tuna, shrimp, crabmeat, ham, beef steak slices, prosciutto



Herbed Vinaigrette
Preparation Time: 10 minutes


1/2 cup white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh herbs such as thyme, basil, oregano,
parsley


1. In small bowl, whisk together vinegar and oil. Whisk in mustard and garlic. Add herbs.

Makes 3/4 cup.

Nutrition information (1/8 of recipe prepared with 1 cup cooked ham, 1/2 cup sliced squash, 1/2 cup green peas, 1/2 cup black olives, 1/2 cup sliced bell pepper, 1 cup sliced cucumber and half of Herbed Vinaigrette): 239 calories; 10 g protein; 8 gdigestible carbohydrates-; 6 g total fat; 0.70 g saturated fat; 8 mg cholesterol; 280 mg sodium; 5 g total dietary fiber.

Note: A favorite prepared vinaigrette may be substituted for the Herbed Vinaigrette.