By Mayo Clinic Staff

Dietitian's tip:

Rice vinegar is a clean-tasting, brisk condiment favored in Asian kitchens. White wine vinegar reflects the characteristics of white wine and is thought to have more "bite." Use either type of vinegar in the dressing for this dilled pasta salad.

Number of servings

Serves 8
  1. DASH diet
  2. Low-sodium
  3. Heart-healthy
  4. Weight management
  5. Healthy-carb
  6. Diabetes meal plan
  7. Kidney diet

Ingredients

    For the dressing:

  1. 1/4 cup olive oil
  2. 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  3. 2 tablespoons rice or white wine vinegar
  4. 2 teaspoons dill weed
  5. Cracked black pepper, to taste
  6. For the salad:

  7. 3 cups uncooked whole-grain shell pasta, medium-sized
  8. 8 asparagus spears, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  9. 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
  10. 1 cup sliced green peppers
  11. 1/2 cup chopped green (spring) onions

Directions

To make the dressing, in a small bowl add the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, dill weed and black pepper. Whisk to mix evenly. Set aside.

To make the salad, fill a large pot 3/4 full with water and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until tender (al dente), 10 to 12 minutes, or according to the package directions. Drain the pasta thoroughly and rinse under cold water.

In a small saucepan, cover the asparagus with water. Bring to a boil and cook only until tender-crisp, about 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water.

In a large bowl, add the pasta, asparagus, tomatoes, green peppers, onions and dressing. Toss to mix evenly.

Cover and refrigerate. Serve chilled.

Nutritional analysis per serving

Serving size: About 3/4 cup

  • Total fat 8 g
  • Calories 160
  • Protein 4 g
  • Cholesterol 0 mg
  • Total carbohydrate 23 g
  • Dietary fiber 4 mg
  • Monounsaturated fat 5 g
  • Saturated fat 1 g
  • Trans fat 0 g
  • Sodium 11 mg
  • Added sugars 0 g
Feb. 06, 2016