Delicious Mexican Pasta Salad
With temps reaching nearly 100 in Cincinnati, eating a hot meal for dinner doesn’t sound too appealing. But if you’ve got a bumper crop of tomatoes or peppers that need a home, I’ve got the perfect recipe for you!
I made this delicious salad for a recent cooking demonstration at the Cancer Support Community in Blue Ash. I love that a faithful group of cancer survivors attend my cooking classes every quarter. I’ve gotten to know a handful of them by name.
One man in particular always peppers me with questions. “What can I substitute for pasta”? ”What is the nutritional difference between kale and spinach”, he’ll query. These are the kinds of questions that dietitians love to be asked to keep us on our toes.
In keeping with the latest research, I’m a fan of using whole-grain pasta over refined pasta. Whole-grain pasta has 3 times more dietary fiber than its white counterpart, plus a higher amount of zinc, magnesium, and other nutrients. Fiber helps you feel fuller longer and also helps manage blood sugar. We all need more fiber in our diets.
Whole grain and white pasta both provide 10% of the Daily Value for iron, the most common nutrient deficiency worldwide. Fortified grains provide plant-based iron for those following a vegetarian or vegan diet.
As mentioned above, this recipe will help you use up those tomatoes, peppers, or onions on hand. It’s inexpensive and versatile, too. I used black beans in the recipe, but kidney beans or red beans could also be used. Using Greek yogurt in the dressing adds some creaminess without the excess fat you’d get with sour cream.
To make the dish gluten-free, you can use gluten-free pasta, cooked brown rice, or quinoa. Spice it up with crushed red pepper or cayenne if you’d like. I tend to keep things mild for my cooking demos. Home is a different story! Enjoy!
Whole Grain Mexican Pasta Salad
Ingredients: Dressing:
1 (16 oz) box whole-wheat rotini or penne pasta ½ cup olive oil
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed ½ cup lime juice
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped 1/3 cup plain, non-fat Greek yogurt
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped 1 tsp. salt
2 green onions, chopped 1 ½ tsp. oregano
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved 1 ½ tsp cumin
½ cup cilantro, chopped 1/2 tsp. chili powder
½ cup feta cheese crumbles 1 garlic clove, minced
Directions:
1. Cook the pasta according to directions, then drain, rinse, and set aside to cool in a medium bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the black beans, yellow and jalapeno peppers, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and feta cheese.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, yogurt, salt, oregano, cumin, chili powder, and garlic.
4. Once the pasta has cooled for 30 minutes, add the bean and vegetable mixture and dressing and toss to combine.
Makes 8 (1 cup) servings. Nutrition information per serving: 375 calories, 18.7 grams fat, 40.3 grams carbs, 9.2 grams fiber, 12.5 grams protein, 14.5 mg cholesterol, 685 mg sodium.
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