Farmer's market pasta salad

Serves:  8 (about ⅔ cup per serving)  / Prep time: 10 minutes  / Total time: 20 minutes


1 ½ cups dry orecchiette pasta
3 tablespoons golden balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh minced basil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
2 cups fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
1 cup grape tomatoes
1 cup chopped cucumber
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
½ cup diced red onion


Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt if called for. Drain pasta and rinse under very cold water; set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, basil, sugar, garlic, oregano, salt and black pepper; set aside. In a large bowl, combine pasta, spinach, tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper and onion. Pour dressing over pasta mixture and gently stir to combine ingredients. Chill at least 2 hours before serving, allowing flavors to blend.

Notes:  You can substitute the sugar with raw unprocessed honey or leave it out. The spinach can be swopped with rocket. Instead of orecchiette pasta you can swop it with any brown , whole wheat pasta. 



111 calories (32% from fat), 4 grams fat (1 gram sat. fat, 0 grams trans fat), 19 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams protein, 136 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol, 23 mg calcium, 2 grams fiber. Food exchanges: 1 starch, 1 fat.

Recipe Compliments: Created and tested by Darlene Zimmerman, MS, RD for Heart Smart®, Henry Ford Health System