Picnics and potluck dinners are not complete without pasta salad. This version, filled with sweet grapes, crunchy pecans, and a light dressing, saves calories without sacrificing flavor. Instead of orzo, you could also use your favorite pasta, brown rice, or whole-grain couscous.

Yield: 8 servings

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked orzo pasta
• 1 cup halved seedless red grapes
• 1/4 cup chopped unsalted pecans
• 3 green onions, whites and greens thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp low-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Directions

1. Combine the pasta, grapes, pecans, and onions in a medium-sized bowl.
2. In a small dish, stir the mayonnaise, yogurt, red wine vinegar, sugar, salt, and garlic powder. Stir well until the sugar begins to dissolve.

Pour the dressing over the pasta and stir to coat all ingredients. Refrigerate 30 minutes before serving.

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