Improving on a winner

By Kathy Manweiler

Giving pasta salad a zesty twist put Cheryl Amato in the winner’s circle at the 42nd Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest.

Her family’s annual pig roast features this Mexican macaroni salad, and she says the recipe is great for entertaining because it can be made ahead.

But while kicking macaroni salad’s flavor up a notch, Amato also raised the calorie count and fat content. Just one cup of her version contains 448 calories and 22 grams of fat. If you ate Taco Bell’s Steak Burrito Supreme instead, you’d save 28 calories and 6 fat grams.

So I set out to lighten up this dish without losing its award-winning taste.

First, I used Barilla Plus, a multi-grain pasta, in place of regular rotini. That switch adds more protein and fiber to the recipe along with a dose of Omega-3 fatty acids.

Slimming down the dressing was my next step. Amato’s salad calls for a cup of ranch dressing, which can have 1,488 calories and 160 fat grams. My dressing uses Hidden Valley Ranch mix with some low-fat buttermilk, fat-free milk, light mayonnaise and light sour cream, trimming the dressing’s calories by 76 percent and the fat by 85 percent.

Amato stirs in a chopped avocado and 6 ounces of olives, tossing an extra 576 calories and 53 fat grams into the salad. I leave those ingredients out to save 72 calories and 6.6 fat grams per serving.

I also chose reduced-fat cheese and sliced the amount in half to trim an additional 33 calories and 3 grams of fat per cup.

My alterations to this recipe cut the calories by 32 percent and chopped off 70 percent of the fat.

You can have a cup of my Mexican macaroni salad for 305 calories and 6.6 fat grams.

KATHY’S MEXICAN MACARONI SALAD

1 (14.5-ounce) box of Barilla Plus rotini pasta

1 tablespoon finely grated lime peel

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 (1.25-ounce) package taco seasoning mix

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half

1‚Ñ2 cup sharp Cheddar cheese made with 2 percent milk, finely shredded

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped

2 medium green onions, sliced

1 (16-ounce) can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained

1‚Ñ2 packet Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing mix

1‚Ñ4 cup low-fat buttermilk

1‚Ñ4 cup fat-free milk

1‚Ñ4 cup light mayonnaise

1‚Ñ4 cup light sour cream

Cook and drain pasta as directed on package. Rinse with cold water to cool, then drain again.

To make dressing, in a small bowl, whisk together 1‚Ñ2 packet of ranch salad dressing mix, buttermilk, fat-free milk, light mayonnaise and light sour cream. Stir in lime juice, lime peel and taco seasoning mix.

In a large bowl, toss cooked pasta with tomatoes, beans, cheese, green onions and green chiles. Pour dressing mixture over salad and toss gently to mix. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving to blend flavors.

Makes 8 1-cup servings.

Per serving (1 cup): 305 calories, 6.6 fat grams, 524mg sodium, 13 protein grams, 6.3 fiber grams, 49 carb grams, 5mg cholesterol

Adapted from a “Pillsbury Bake-Off Winners” cookbook recipe