Thinking of the holiday weekend coming up or for any weeknight meal, here’s a pasta salad that can be made in advance and served at room temperature. The pork for this salad is cooked on the grill.
The variety of flavors and textures of the barbecued pork, crisp, fresh vegetables and tangy dressing make a tasty combination in this easy salad meal.
Helpful Hints:
- You can use any short cut pasta.
- You can also cook pork under a broiler or in a skillet. Use the times given and check with a meat thermometer.
Barbecued Pork Pasta Salad
Yield 2 servings. Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer
3/4 pound pork tenderloin
Vegetable oil spray
1/4 pound fusilli (corkscrew) pasta, (about 11/4 cups)
2 tablespoons reduced fat mayonnaise
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
2 scallions, sliced (about 1/2 cup)
1 medium tomato, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup no-sugar-added barbecue sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Several lettuce leaves, washed
Preheat grill to 400 degrees. Remove visible fat from the pork and spray with vegetable oil spray. Place the tenderloin over direct heat for 5 minutes. Close the grill lid or if you do not have a grill lid, cover pork with foil. Turn pork over and grill for 4 minutes or until a meat thermometer reaches 135 degrees. Remove to a plate and cover with foil. Place water for pasta on to boil. When boiling, add pasta and cook for 8 minutes or according to package instructions. Drain. Mix mayonnaise, horseradish and lemon juice together in a large bowl. Place beans in a microwaveable bowl and microwave on high for 2 minutes. Add the beans, scallions, tomato and pasta to the mayonnaise mixture. Cut pork into thin, about 1/4-inch, slices, and spoon barbecue sauce on top. Mix well and add to the mayonnaise mixture. Toss well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place the lettuce leaves on 2 dinner plates and spoon salad on top.
Per serving: 615 calories (18% from fat), 12.3 g fat (2.2 g saturated, 4 g monounsaturated), 108 mg cholesterol, 45.6 g protein, 79 g carbohydrates, 5.1 g fiber, 1,035 mg sodium.
