• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Grilling 24x7
  • Grilling 24×7
  • About
  • Recipes
    • By Food Type
      • Beef
        • Pellet Grill
        • Charcoal Grill
      • Poultry
        • Chicken
        • Turkey
      • Pork
        • Pork Ribs
        • Pellet Grill
        • Charcoal Grill
      • Seafood
        • Crab
        • Shrimp
        • Lobster
        • Fish
      • Veggies
        • Appetizers
        • Side Dishes
        • Soups and Casseroles
        • Main Dishes
      • Lamb
      • Keto Diet
    • By Course
      • Appetizers
        • Beef
        • Poultry
        • Pork
        • Seafood
      • Soups and Casseroles
      • Salads
      • Side Dishes
      • Main Dishes
        • Beef
        • Poultry
        • Pork
        • Seafood
        • Pizza
      • Dessert
      • Sauces/rubs
    • By Method
      • Cast Iron Recipes
        • Appetizers
          • Beef
          • Poultry
          • Pork
          • Seafood
        • Side Dishes
        • Soups and Casseroles
        • Main Dishes
          • Beef
          • Poultry
          • Pork
          • Seafood
      • Tailgate Recipes
        • Grilled Appetizers
          • Beef
          • Poultry
          • Pork
          • Seafood
          • Veggies
        • Side Dishes
        • Soups And Casseroles
        • Main Dishes
          • Beef
          • Poultry
          • Pork
          • Seafood
          • Veggie
  • Reviews
  • Tips
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
Grilling 24x7 » Recipes » Low Fat Pasta Salad that Actually Tastes Good!!

Low Fat Pasta Salad that Actually Tastes Good!!

by Frank Campanella Leave a Comment

This is the Low Fat Pasta Salad recipe that you won’t feel like you had to sacrifice flavor for calories.

Low fat pasta salad that actually tastes good

As the title suggests I wanted to create a healthy low-fat pasta salad that actually tastes good.

I’m happy to report that I’ve done just that! Loaded with different textures and flavors combined with a tasty creamy dressing to bring it all together 

If you are looking for more tasty side dishes for this grilling season checkout BBQ Grilled Spaghetti Squash Rings, BBQ Corn Ribs with Smokehouse Mayo, and Corn & Avocado Summer Salad

Jump to Recipe
shell pasta salad made with nonfat greek yogurt and fresh veggies

How to Make Perfect Low Fat Pasta Salad

There are a few simple things that you can do to make sure you have perfectly cooked pasta every time.  The first step is making sure that the water is salted.

Salting the water infuses an extra layer of flavor to your pasta making sure that every component of the pasta salad is seasoned. The water should taste like the ocean. I normally go with a tablespoon of salt per quart.

Once the salted water has reached a rolling boil add your macaroni and stir immediately for about 30 seconds. As the pasta cooks, you should give it a stir every two minutes or so until it’s ready.

This will prevent the noodles from sticking to the bottom of the pot as well as help the pasta cook evenly.


low fat healthy pasta salad recipe

What Kind of Noodles are best for Pasta Salad

There are so many varieties of pasta shapes and sizes. Any type you have will die but I try to use pasta shapes that have ridges and twists to hold maximum dressing.

Small shells are great because the dressing tucks into the shells. Other varieties like a rotini, fusilli, cavatappi, Campanelle, and Penne are good pasta salad options to use.

Avoid smooth edges like plain elbow macaroni or smooth rigatoni if possible but it works if it’s all you have.

Other smaller options like orzo or Israeli couscous are nice because of their uniform size.

Low fat pasta salad that actually tastes good

The Dressing For Low Fat Pasta Salad

To create any tasty pasta salad or any salad for that matter you need a great foundation. The dressing or sauce is the foundation that will provide flavor throughout the dish.

Replacing the heavy mayonnaise with nonfat Greek yogurt still gives a creamy texture but with none of that fat and about 75% fewer calories. The secret is to use other ingredients with the nonfat yogurt to build up the flavor.

Fresh herbs, vinegar, and mustard help to fortify the flavor in the pasta salad along with different spices to round out the dressing.

low fat healthy pasta salad recipe

The Veggies for Low Fat Pasta Salad

This is where you get to be creative. Make this healthy pasta salad your own by adding whatever veggies you love to the mix. Fresh is always best and organic local is even better.

If you don’t like onions skip them, if you love cucumber then load upon them. There’s no end to the possibilities so go wild with the veggies you enjoy and skip the ones you don’t.

I basically raid my fridge and pile up all the veggies I have on hand and just start slicing and chopping. Using a Japanese Mandolin to slice thin uniform vegetables like radishes, seedless cucumbers, carrots, and onions. 

low fat healthy pasta salad recipe

Ingredients For Low Fat Pasta Salad

  •  Small Shells
  •  Fresh Corn
  • Sliced Cherry Tomatoes
  • Garbanzo Beans
  • Seedless Cucumbers
  • Carrots
  • Red Onion
  • Black Olives
  • Diced Bell Peppers
  • Diced Celery
  • Sliced Radishes
  • Nonfat Greek Yogurt
  • Dijon Mustard
  •  Dill Pickle Relish
  • Sliced Chives
  • Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Fresh Chopped Parsley
  • Fresh Dill
  • Real Salt
  • Black Pepper
  • Smoked Paprika

Other Ingredients 

Personally, I’m a big fan of olives so I added a can of drained black olives to the pasta salad. I’m also a fan of Garbanzo beans so a can of those was added as well.

You can add these or not depending on your taste. Adding a small amount of Parmesan cheese can add a lot of flavor with minimal fat to the pasta salad. Other optional ingredients that you may choose to add include:

  • Croutons
  • Dried Fruits
  • Fresh Blueberries or Strawberries 
  • Roasted Red Peppers
  • Balsamic Vinegar 
  • Sun dried Tomatoes 
low fat healthy pasta salad recipe

More Tasty Side Dishes

  • Corn & Avocado Summer Salad
  • Broccoli Rabe & Beef Heart w/ Orecchiette Pasta
  • Sheet Pan Everything Cabbage
  • BBQ Grilled Spaghetti Squash Rings
  • Broccoli Salad w/ White BBQ Sauce
  • Thai Veggie Salad

Low fat pasta salad that actually tastes good
Print Pin

Low Fat Pasta Salad (that actually tastes good)

This is the Low Fat Pasta Salad recipe that you won't feel like you had to sacrifice flavor for calories.
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword Healthy, Pasta salad, Salad
Prep Time 30 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 210kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Small Shells
  • 1 cup Fresh Corn
  • 1 cup Sliced Cherry Tomatoes
  • 1 cup Garbanzo Beans
  • ¾ cup Seedless Cucumbers
  • ½ cup Sliced Carrots
  • ½ cup Sliced Red Onion
  • ½ cup Sliced Black Olives
  • ½ cup Diced Bell Peppers
  • ½ cup Diced Celery
  • ¼ cup Sliced Radishes

Dressing Ingredients

  • ¾ cup Nonfat Greek Yogurt
  • ¼ cup Dijon Mustard
  • ¼ cup Dill Pickle Relish
  • ¼ cup Sliced Chives
  • 2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 2 tbsp Fresh Chopped Parsley
  • 1 tbsp Fresh Dill
  • 1 tsp Real Salt
  • 1 tsp Black Pepper
  • ½ tsp Smoked Paprika

Instructions

  • Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook shells for 8-12 minutes. Drain pasta and run under cold water until room temperature.
  • Prepare the dressing by whisking all ingredients together until fully combined.
  • Prepare all of the veggies and herbs. Dice or chop so that all ingredients are of similar size. Drain and lightly rinse the beans and olives.
  • In a large mixing bowl combine shells, veggies and other ingredients with the dressing so that the pasta salad is fully incorporated.

Notes

serving size about 1 cup

Nutrition

Calories: 210kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 417mg | Potassium: 283mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1187IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition Facts
Low Fat Pasta Salad (that actually tastes good)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 210 Calories from Fat 18
% Daily Value*
Fat 2g3%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Cholesterol 1mg0%
Sodium 417mg18%
Potassium 283mg8%
Carbohydrates 39g13%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 9g18%
Vitamin A 1187IU24%
Vitamin C 12mg15%
Calcium 45mg5%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Sharing is caring!

  • Facebook140
  • Twitter
  • Email

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Frank Campanella

If you love grilling, smoking and searing then you have come to the right place. Grilling 24x7 is your home for everything BBQ, Grilling and more. 

You'll find unique grilling recipes as well as a collection of bbq sides and sauces to make your next backyard cookout or tailgate a success.

Read More →

Cover of The Complete Guide to Grillin Steak - Preorder Now

Most Popular Recipes

  • Smoked Eye of Round with Beef Au Jus
  • Cast Iron Cuban Casserole – Leftover Pulled Pork Recipe
  • Smoked Bacon Wrapped Onion Rings with Spicy Sriracha Onion Rings
  • Bacon Burnt Ends Using Slab Bacon

Sign Up For The Best BBQ Recipes



Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2021 Grilling 24x7