Who can resist a creamy pasta and vegetable salad that has 31% less calories than the traditional recipe. Use your favorite vegetables in place of those suggested in the recipe if you like!

Garden Pasta Salad

1 pound penne or medium pasta shells, cooked, drained, cooled
1 large yellow or red bell pepper, sliced
1/2 cup fresh or thawed frozen peas, cooked
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup blanched sugar snap peas
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
3 tablespoons Equal® Spoonful*
2 teaspoons drained green peppercorns, crushed (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Combine pasta, bell pepper, peas, green onions, snap peas and carrots in salad bowl. Blend mayonnaise, vinegar, milk, parsley, Equal® and peppercorns, if desired.
2. Stir dressing into salad mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate, covered, 2 to 3 hours to allow flavors to blend.

Makes 10 servings.

* May substitute 4 1/2 packets Equal sweetener

Nutrition Information Per Serving:
calories 196, protein 7 g, carbohydrate 40 g, fat 1 g, cholesterol 1 mg, sodium 110 mg.

Food Exchanges: 2 vegetable, 2 starch.

Recipe provided courtesy of Merisant Corporation ® and the NutraSweet Company, makers of Equal®.

Click for more information on the artificial sweetner Aspartame.