Pasta salad is light and tasty

Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Sep 19, 2007 by Jeanne Jones

Dear Jeanne: I had this salad at a potluck. It's delicious, but I won't make it because of the fat content. Can you do your thing and make all the fat go away? -- Sara M., Springfield, Mass.

Dear Sara: I can make a lot of the fat go away! This is a tasty salad, but I felt that another type of pasta would be better. You can use any shape you like, like small shells or rotini.

The thin vermicelli noodles weren't my favorite in this cold salad. I also changed the mayonnaise to half light sour cream, which I thought made it taste fresher. I recommend that you combine the dressing ingredients first so that the flavors have time to combine. You can even do it a day ahead of time, and add the pasta just before serving.

If you add the pasta and then store it overnight, you might have to add a little more mayonnaise or sour cream because the pasta will absorb it. I also thought that some small pieces of asparagus or peas would be a nice addition.

VERMICELLI SALAD

1 14-ounce package vermicelli

1 medium red onion, chopped

1 medium green pepper, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 1/2 teaspoons celery seed

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon chopped chives

1/4 cup Italian dressing

1 cup mayonnaise

Salt and pepper to taste

1 pound shrimp or crabmeat, cooked

Cook vermicelli in boiling water. Drain and rinse with cold water. Add onion, green pepper, parsley, celery seed, oregano, chives and Italian dressing. Moisten well with the mayonnaise, adding more if necessary. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the shrimp or crabmeat.

Makes 10 servings.

SEAFOOD PASTA SALAD

12 ounces pasta (shells, rotini, cavatappi)

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1 medium red or green bell pepper, finely chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1 1/2 teaspoons celery seed

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon chopped chives

1/4 cup fat-free Italian dressing

1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise

1/2 cup light sour cream

1 pound shrimp or crabmeat, cooked

1. In a large pot of water, boil the pasta until done, drain well and rinse with cold water. Drain again. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine the onion, bell pepper, parsley, celery seed, oregano, garlic powder, chives, Italian dressing, mayonnaise and sour cream. Add the cooked pasta and shrimp or crab and mix well. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Makes 10 servings.

Each serving contains approximately: Original Recipe: 383 calories; 23 gm fat; 77 mg cholesterol; 453 mg sodium; 34 gm carbohydrate; 13 gm protein; 1 gm fiber. Revised Recipe: 196 calories; 1 gm fat; 70 mg cholesterol; 308 mg sodium; 33 gm carbohydrate; 13 gm protein; 1 gm fiber.

Jeanne Jones is the author of 33 cookbooks, most recently "Cooking From the Cupboard" (Rodale Press). For more information, you can go to her Web site, jeannejones.com. Send your recipe for revision to: Cook It Light, Deseret Morning News, P.O. Box 1212, La Jolla, CA 92038. Please include a stamped (63 cents), self- addressed envelope. [copyright] King Features Syndicate Inc.