Pasta Salad

I’ve really hit a wall lately when it comes to eating lunch. Usually I one of two things: English muffin pizzas or a veggie burger on an English muffin. Maybe, if I’m lucky and ambitious, I will go to subway. I love me some English Muffin pizzas but seriously, they can get boring. When what you are eating gets boring, you tend to eat whatever you can find to shake things up. In my case, this usually spells disaster because boredom usually leads to binging. Because of the tendency to binge, I have to have strict guidelines when it comes to lunch because I want to be able to eat a decent dinner. I strive to eat something filling that is below 6 Weight Watchers Points this is sometimes not easy to do because a lot of those healthy frozen meals tend to be between 6 to 8 points.

I recently bought a Weight Watchers cookbook that has healthy takes on traditional not good for you comfort food. I found this recipe for pasta salad. Pasta salad is one of those things that I hold near and dear. Any cookout I go to I immediately gravitate towards the pasta salad and/or macaroni salad, this is because no two people make the same kind of pasta or macaroni salad. My Aunt Marlene, just happens to make the best in the entire world. Her salad is the proverbial yard stick that I use to see how everyone else’s pasta salad measures up. She makes hers with rotini pasta, cubed mozzarella cheese, chunks of pepperoni, tons of Italian salad dressing, and salad supreme to taste. It is the best. Though, I wouldn’t want to know how many Weight Watchers Points that stuff is. It’s probably one of those things where the world is better off if the caloric information goes unsaid.

The recipe I found has mozzarella and cherry tomatoes in it. I, not being an avid fan of tomatoes decided to tweak this recipe. I threw in a jar of roasted red peppers because I love them and I’m still getting that red color. Also, instead of using an oily salad dressing you make your own flavorful dressing out of lemon juice, lemon zest (the yellow part of the lemon), olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and fresh basil. The result is a vibrant, tasty pasta salad that not only tastes good but looks like it should be served to you at either a posh Italian restaurant or one of those hella expensive spa resorts. The best part? If this is made with cherry tomatoes its only 142 calories per 3/4 cup serving! How wonderful is that?

I realize that a lot of the things that I post on here are Weight Watchers recipes. Weight Watchers to me, is one of the best things to ever come around. I have lost 56 pounds since having my son in September of 2007 and I owe it all to Weight Watchers. They teach you how to eat correctly and how to adopt a healthy lifestyle with out having to make huge sacrifices. I’m not someone who is being paid to endorse them, but if you are wanting to lose weight I urge you to go check out a meeting. I have a link to Weight Watcher’s in the link section of this blog be sure to check it out they have a function to find a meeting near you and you see what kind of specials they are running.

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Pasta Salad With Roasted Red Peppers and Mozzarella
(adapted from Pasta Salad with Tomatoes and Mozzarella from Weight Watcher’s Comfort Classics cookbook)

6 ounces whole wheat penne pasta (I used regular)
2 tsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves minced
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
2 tsp lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, diced
1 jar roasted red peppers cut up
1/2 cup fresh basil

Cook the penne according to the package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water, drain again.

To make the dressing, heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook stirring often until the garlic is golden. Transfer the oil mixture to a large bowl, stir in zest and lemon juice with salt and pepper. Add the pasta, cheese, roasted reds, and basil. Toss to coat.

Pasta Salad