Garden Pasta Salad

This lightly dressed pasta salad gets lots of flavor from kalamata olives and basil. A colorful mix of diced bell pepper, shredded carrot and tomatoes adds vitamins and minerals. Serve on a crisp bed of greens. Toss in canned chunk light tuna, cooked chicken or flavored baked tofu (see Note) to add protein and make it more substantial.

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups  whole-wheat rotini, (6 ounces)
1/3 cup  reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/3 cup  low-fat plain yogurt
2 tablespoons  extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon  red-wine vinegar, or lemon juice
1 clove  garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon  salt
  Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 cup  cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup  diced yellow or red bell pepper, (1 small)
1 cup  grated carrots, (2-4 carrots)
1/2 cup  chopped scallions, (4 scallions)
1/2 cup  chopped pitted kalamata olives
1/3 cup  slivered fresh basil

DIRECTIONS:
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes, or according to package directions. Drain and refresh under cold running water.
2. Whisk mayonnaise, yogurt, oil, vinegar (or lemon juice), garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl until smooth. Add the pasta and toss to coat. Add tomatoes, bell pepper, carrots, scallions, olives and basil; toss to coat well.

Tips:
Ingredient note: Precooked "baked tofu" is firmer than water-packed tofu and comes in a wide variety of flavors. You might also like flavored baked tofu on a sandwich or in a stir-fry.
MAKE AHEAD TIP: Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.