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Weight Watchers Recipe of the Day: Pasta Salad with Ham & Peas
I made this yummy lighter, healthier peas and ham pasta salad a couple of Sundays ago.
It made a big batch, enough for several weekday meals and sharing with Mom.
Taking the time to cook a few dishes ahead on Sunday makes getting dinner on the table during the week so much easier and helps keep me on track with my weight maintenance.
Most of the time I opt for pasta salads made with vinaigrette, since I automatically think of them as lighter and healthier.
But it’s possible to make a lighter, healthier pasta salad with creamy dressing too, as this peas and ham pasta salad proves.
Recipe Notes
There’s a great article in this month’s (June 2013) issue of EatingWell (affiliate link) with a step-by-step guide to making healthier pasta salads.
I opted to try the Pasta Salad with Peas, Ham and a Creamy Buttermilk Dressing, since I had all the ingredients needed on-hand.
Packed with with protein and vegetables – mushrooms, peas, onion, diced ham, chopped hard-boiled eggs, chopped Cheddar cheese, and tossed in a creamy buttermilk dill dressing, it was satisfying and delicious.
How Many Calories and WW Points in this Pasta Salad?
According to my calculations each serving has 236 calories and:
5 *SmartPoints (Green plan)
4 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
2 *SmartPoints (Purple plan)
6 *PointsPlus (Old plan)
To see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, Click here!
If you like this easy pasta salad with ham and peas, be sure to check out my other Weight Watchers friendly recipes including Pasta Salad with Blue Cheese, Walnuts & Arugula, Easy Chicken Satay Pasta Salad, Enlightened Classic Macaroni Salad and Trisha Yearwood’s Orzo Salad Made Lighter
If you’ve made this Pasta Salad with Ham and Peas, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Skinny Peas & Ham Pasta Salad Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked whole wheat elbow pasta
- 2 cups sliced button mushrooms
- 1-3/4 cups frozen peas, thawed
- 1/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion
- 1 cup diced lean ham
- 2 chopped hard-boiled eggs
- 1/2 cup diced low-fat cheddar cheese
For the Dressing:
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
- 3-4 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine the pasta, mushrooms, peas, onion, ham, eggs and cheese.
- In a medium bowl mash the clove of garlic and salt into a paste. Whisk in the buttermilk, mayonnaise, dill and vinegar until smooth.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Source: EatingWell (affiliate link)
A note about WW Points
If you're following Weight Watchers, all the recipes here on Simple Nourished Living have been updated for the new WW program, with points displayed in the recipe card. The Check the WW Points link in the recipe card takes you to the Weight Watchers App where you can edit it using the WW recipe builder or add it to your day.
(Must be logged into WW account on a mobile device, such as smartphone or tablet).
Watch as The Domestic Geek shares 5 healthy pasta salad recipes:
More Pasta Salad Recipes Made Lighter:
- Avocado BLT Pasta Salad (EmilyBites)
- Chilled Italian Shrimp Tortellini Pasta Salad (SkinnyTaste)
- Loaded Veggie Pasta Salad with Sweet Basil Vinaigrette (EatYourselfSkinny)
- Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad (EmilyBites)
- Zucchini-Noodle “Pasta” Salad (HungryGirl)
- 5-Minute Pea & Arugula Pasta Salad (EatYourselfSkinny)
This video shows how easy it is to make a variation of this pasta salad with tuna:
Great little recipe. Top marks. Thanks for sharing this.
Simon
Glad you liked it Simon.
That looks wonderful! Perfect to take to a picnic potluck….