Basil Scented Pasta Salad

My mom and I have been making this recipe for years. It’s a perfect vehicle for fresh basil.  This is a cold salad and makes for a wonderful lunch or light supper. Early in the week I prepare the salad and marinate some chicken breasts in Wishbone Italian Salad Dressing for later use. On nights I don’t feel like cooking I grill the chicken and pull the salad from the fridge. The salad is healthish because it's filled with veggies. 

In it are hearts of palm and artichoke hearts, which add fiber and make it more nutritious. Basil makes it aromatic, pecans add texture and the creamy dressing pulls everything together in a light, refreshing way. The original recipe doesn't call for Greek yogurt or hearts of palm pasta but to lighten things up just a bit, I modified the dressing and I had some hearts of palm pasta so I used that instead of the canned variety. Either type of hearts of palm can be used. If you don't have pecans, I've made this with pine nuts and that is a lovely substitution. 

RECIPE:

3 servings
Per Serving: 356 cals/14.1g fat/46.6g carbs/12.9g protein/5.7g sugar/5.9g fiber

4 ounces medium pasta shells
3 tablespoons Olive Oil Mayonnaise
3 tablespoons O% Greek Yogurt
3/4 cup fresh basil
2 medium sized garlic cloves
1/2 cup low fat milk or milk of choice
4 ounces marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
1/2 cup hearts of palm (either sliced or if using hearts of palm pasta, chopped into bite sized pieces)
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook shells. Meanwhile, in a blender blend mayonnaise through garlic until combined. Slowly add milk, adding 1/4 cup first and slowly add the rest stopping when  sauce is thick and creamy. You may not need it all. Stir together, cover and refrigerate, preferable overnight or at least until chilled, 4 hours. Before serving add pecans and serve.