This pasta salad recipe uses less pasta and more vegetables to create a dish with fewer calories than the traditional recipe, while still maintaining its flavor. The cauliflower and carrots are also loaded with fiber and disease-fighting antioxidants.

Yield: 4 servings

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups grated cauliflower
• 1 cup dry bow-tie pasta (about 2.5 oz.), cooked according to package directions
• 1/3 cup shredded carrot
• 2 tbsp finely diced red onion
• ¼ cup light mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh chives
• ¼ tsp honey
• ¼ tsp smoked paprika

Directions

1. Add the cauliflower, pasta, carrot, and onion to a medium bowl. Stir to combine the ingredients.
2. In a small dish, whisk together the mayonnaise, water, chives, honey, and smoked paprika until smooth.
3. Just before serving, pour the dressing over the salad and stir to coat all the vegetables and pasta. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 30 minutes.

Lori Rice, M.S., is a nutritional scientist and author with a passion for healthy cooking, exercise physiology, and food photography.