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Like many people, I've been doing a lot of carb watching lately. I'm trying hard to minimize them, or at least eat them in the form of vegetables.
That was my inspiration for creating this lower-carb pasta salad, which is something I crave in the summer, especially when its bursting with fatty mayonnaise.
I like my pasta salads jammed with fresh vegetables, so for this recipe I loaded up with fresh raw corn cut from the cob, (yes, it's delicious raw), crunchy red bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, a little bit of red onion and scallions and a handful of peas.
For the dressing, I went with a blend of fat-free plain Greek yogurt and low-fat sour cream. The combination — amplified by a few seasonings — hits just the right textures and tastes I was looking for. I could have gone with low- or no-fat mayonnaise, but those can taste flat and artificial.
Now, about that pasta. The secret weapon is an newer product known as shirataki noodles, which have less than 20 calories per serving. They are produced by several companies and generally are made from soy, yam or some combination of similar ingredients. With calorie counts like those, you can easily eat a satisfying mound of them.
The noodles are packed in bags of water and are sold in a variety of shapes, including penne. They just need to be blanched in boiling water for a couple minutes. The texture is a bit softer than traditional pasta, but when mixed in with vegetables, the difference is minor. —
Healthy carb pasta salad
1/2 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 (8-ounce packages) shirataki noodles*
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 ears corn, husks removed
1 red bell pepper, cored and diced
1 small red onion, diced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
Ground black pepper
Line a rimmed baking sheet with a clean kitchen towel.
In a large bowl, whisk together yogurt, sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, hot sauce and salt.
Drain the noodles, then place them in a large saucepan. Add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil the noodles for 2 minutes. Add the peas and return the water to a simmer. Drain and spread the noodles and peas in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Transfer to the freezer to cool and dry for 5 to 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut kernels from the ears of corn. To do so, one at a time stand each ear on its wide end and use a serrated knife to saw down the length of the cob. Add the kernels to the yogurt-sour cream mixture in the bowl and mix well. Mix in the bell peppers, red onion and tomatoes.
Once the noodles and peas have cooled, add those to the bowl and gently combine. Taste and seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary.
*Shirataki noodles are made from soy, yam or some combination of similar ingredients. They come in a variety of shapes. Penne-style noodles are ideal for this recipe, but they can be hard to find. As an alternative, use fettuccine and cut the noodles into 1- to 2-inch lengths.
Servings • 6
Source: The Associated Press