Creamy Whole-Wheat Fusilli Salad

This hearty fusilli salad has juicy cherry tomatoes, mozarella cheese and blanched snow peas. To make this recipe healthier, I used whole-wheat pasta and lots of vegetables and herbs; for the creamy dressing I used Greek yogurt, olive oil and only 2 tablespoons of homemade mayonnaise.

Delicious, satisfying and so easy to make!

The recipe:

www.vespresso.cooking/en/pasta-salad

Ingredients (for 4 servings):

• 300g whole-wheat fusilli - 10.5 oz
• 300g cherry tomatoes - 10.5 oz
• 20 snow peas (you can substitute with 1/3 cup frozen peas)
• 75g mozzarella - 2.5 oz
• 1 spring onion
• 1 red chili pepper
• 150g Greek yogurt (5% fat) - 5.2
• 30g mayonnaise – 2 Tbsp (preferably homemade)
• 30ml lemon juice – 2 Tbsp
• 30ml olive oil – 2 Tbsp
• 1 tsp honey – 7g
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 1 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
• salt and pepper to taste

Tools:

• a large pot
• bowl
• 1 cup of ice
• colander

Abbreviations:

• tsp = teaspoon
• Tbsp = tablespoon

Carefully deseed the chili pepper and chop it finely.

Finely chop the spring onion and herbs (mint and basil). Halve the cherry tomatoes.

Take a large pot and fill it with 3l of water (1l per 100g of pasta). Add 1 Tbsp of sea salt, cover with a lid and place it on the stove over high heat. When the water starts to boil, add the pasta and cook according to the instructions on the package.

Carefully tip into a colander, rinse under cold water, drain very well and leave aside.

Blanch the snow peas. Bring to a boil 1l of water and add 1 tsp of sea salt. Add the snow peas and boil them for 2 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the ice bath by adding 1 cup of ice to a bowl filled with cold water. Carefully drain the snow peas and immediately place them in the ice bath. Let them cool completely before draining them well.

Prepare the dressing. Combine the Greek yogurt with mayonnaise, lemon juice, olive oil, honey, minced garlic and chopped basil and mint.

In a salad bowl combine the cooked fusilli, cherry tomatoes, chili, spring onion, snow peas and chopped mozzarella cheese (I like to tear mine apart using my fingers). Pour the dressing and toss until all the ingredients are coated.

Season well with salt and freshly grated pepper.

For the best flavor, refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before serving. Cover with cling film and refrigerate up to 3 days.