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Pasta salad season is almost here up and we have a recipe to help usher it in. My idea of the perfect pasta salad includes pasta of course, lots of vegetables, some type of protein and a flavorful dressing to pull it all together.

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Choose a pasta

I typically rely on elbow macaroni or small shells for cold pasta salads. These bite-size shapes are perfect for salads and easy to pick up with a fork.

For today’s recipe, we used whole-wheat elbow macaroni. Made with semolina wheat, durum wheat and whole durum wheat flour, a 2-ounce serving (about 1 cup cooked) has 6 grams of fiber. That’s three times more fiber than regular pasta. A fiber-rich diet may reduce the risk of heart disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes.

If you’ve tried whole-wheat pasta in the past but were turned off by the robust, biting taste and chewier texture, give the newest varieties a chance. Thanks to improved production technology that creates a smoother, less grainy texture, today’s whole-grain pastas are far superior to their predecessors.

Veggies, veggies

The easiest way to boost the nutritional value of any salad is to add a variety of vegetables. While we chose green beans, green pepper and red onion for our salad, you can use whatever vegetables you have on hand: halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumbers, shredded carrots, sliced mushrooms or broccoli florets.

Add some protein

An important part of every cell in the body, protein is used to build and repair tissues. For a little protein boost, we added dark red kidney beans to our salad. Diced chicken breast, canned tuna or hard-boiled eggs make great pasta salad protein add-ins.

When using canned beans be sure to drain and rinse them prior to use. According to the Canned Food Alliance, draining and rinsing canned food reduces sodium content by up to 41%. Interestingly, draining alone results in a 36 percent reduction in sodium.

Dress it lightly

Pasta salads are typically made with lots of mayonnaise, which means lots of calories. We lightened things up with a simple sweet and sour celery seed dressing. For maximum flavor, allow this salad to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.

Darlene Zimmerman is a registered dietitian in Henry Ford Hospital’s Heart & Vascular Institute. For questions about today’s recipe, call 313-972-1920.

Three Bean Pasta Salad

Serves:  9 (⅔ cup per serving) / Prep time: 10 minutes  / Total time:  2 hours 20 minutes (includes refrigeration time)

½ cup uncooked whole-wheat elbow macaroni (yields 1 cup cooked)

1 can (15 ounce) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (15 ounce) dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen cut green beans, thawed

¾ cup diced green pepper

½ cup diced red onion

¼ cup cider vinegar

¼ cup sugar

2 tablespoons canola oil

½ teaspoon celery seed

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

In a medium saucepan of unsalted boiling water, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta and rinse under cold water; drain very well and transfer to a large bowl. Add garbanzo beans, kidney beans, green beans, green pepper and onion.

In a small jar with a tight-fitting lid combine vinegar, sugar, oil, celery seed, salt and black pepper and shake well until sugar dissolves. Pour vinaigrette over bean and pasta mixture and toss gently to coat. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving, allowing flavors to blend.

Created and tested by Darlene Zimmerman, MS, RD, for Heart Smart®.

152 calories (24% from fat), 4 grams fat (0 grams sat. fat, 0 grams trans fat), 23 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams protein, 197 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol, 34 mg calcium, 4 grams fiber. Food exchanges:  1 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 fat.

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