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Easy Fat-Free Vegan Pasta Salad Recipe

Updated on February 22, 2015
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Rosie is a library media specialist. An avid reader and life-long learner, she enjoys sharing her knowledge and expertise in many areas.

Fat-Free Pasta Salad

Source

Fat-free and Low-fat Diets

According to dieting sources, a completely fat-free diet is not beneficial to your health. A low-fat diet is highly recommended. Caution is suggested with prepared foods labeled low-fat, as they often have higher calories than the regular foods. Fresh fruits and vegetables are fat free or very low in fat, so they are great choices for snacks and to incorporate into your meal. In addition, they are packed with nutrients that your body needs.

This is one of my favorite pasta recipes. It is a fantastic dish to serve for several reasons. It is easy to make. It is a crowd pleaser; most people, including children like it. It can be made in advance in large quantities. It is served cold and little preparation is required. It can be served as a main dish, side dish, or snack. And it is fat-free, or almost fat-free. I have added a few optional items that are not completely fat-free, but are low-fat and highly recommended for their nutritional value.

I am not a vegetarian, but often think it would be easy to become one. I crave fruit and veggies, and fill my plate with side dishes, often having only small servings of meat portions. The rest of my family is just the opposite, so that I probably won't be converting to a vegetarian anytime soon. Even so, they love this pasta dish, which just happens to be fat-free and vegan!

5 stars from 1 rating of Vegan Pasta Salad Recipe

Cook Time

Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Ready in: 20 min
Yields: 4 main meals, 8-10 side dishes

Ingredients

  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 container cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 3 tablespoons basil, coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise
  • 1 box garden rotini pasta, whole wheat
  • 1 can garbanzo beans, drained, optional
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Instructions For Fat-Free Vegan Pasta

  1. Cook pasta according to directions on the box. When pasta is done cooking, rinse under cold water to keep el dente.
  2. While pasta is cooking, rinse tomatoes and basil under water, and pat dry. Chop basil coarsely. Slice tomatoes into halves or quarters. Drain garbanzo beans. Set all ingredients aside.
  3. Crush garlic cloves with garlic press and place in bowl. Add white wine vinegar, fat-free mayonaise, salt and pepper to taste. Stir well.
  4. Place pasta in bowl, and add all ingredients. Stir and toss ingredients until well mixed. Sprinkle lemon juice over pasta. Place in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

Garbanzo Beans

Garbanzo beans have a total of 2 g of fat, which is 3 percent of the daily value for total fat. This total consists entirely of unsaturated. Garbanzo beans contain no saturated fat, trans fat or cholesterol. They provide 6.8 g of protein per serving, which is 14 percent of the daily value for protein. Garbanzo beans have 10 percent of the daily value for iron, 4 percent of the daily value for calcium and 2 percent of the daily value for vitamin C in each serving. The sodium content in a serving of garbanzo beans is 379.3 mg, or 16 percent of the daily value for sodium. Garbanzo beans contain no potassium or vitamin A. Source: Livestrong.com

Whole Wheat Pasta or Not?

According to Greatist.com, the difference between whole wheat pasta and white pasta is in the processing. The white pasta is stripped of beneficial nutritional substances, giving it a long shelf life, and costing less. While the whole wheat pasta offers vitamin E, B vitamins, antioxidants, fiber that decreases your appetite, protein, and healthy fats. Choosing whole wheat pasta can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, cancer, and digestive issues.

Variations of Fat-Free Pasta Salad Recipe

  • Substitute sun-dried tomatoes for cherry tomatoes. Fresh tomatoes do not keep long, while sun-dried tomatoes will last for weeks. Keep these on hand for a quick fix. It is estimated that one cup of sun-dried tomatoes has 139 calories, 8 grams of protein, 7 grams of fiber, and 39 percent of the recommended daily intake of potassium.
  • Use fat-free Italian dressing instead of the mayonaise and white wine vinegar dressing. This is an easy way to flavor your pasta salad quickly, and can be kept in the refrigerator for the moment you decide to make your pasta salad.

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