Pot-Luck Pasta Salad

adapted from a recipe posted on the Weight Watchers website

Servings: 12 (about 155 calories, 8 g fat and 3 g fiber the way I made it)

• 4 oz uncooked whole-wheat pasta, corkscrew shape (about 1 1/2 cups) -- I used 8 ounces of uncooked pasta - I didn't feel like 4 ounces was enough
• 1/3 cup(s) olive oil, extra virgin
• 1/4 cup(s) fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp table salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 medium garlic clove(s), minced
• 2 1/2 oz olive(s), canned, sliced, black (about 10 medium olives)
• 1 medium green pepper(s), chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 medium sweet red pepper(s), chopped (about 1 cup)
• 3/4 cup(s) grape tomatoes, or other small tomatoes, halved (about 10 tomatoes) -- I'm not a tomato fan, so I left this out
• 1 medium yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise and sliced (about 1/2 cup) -- I diced these because I don't like big strips of vegetables in salads
• 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced (about 1/2 cup) -- I diced these because I don't like big strips of vegetables in salads
• 1 cup(s) frozen green peas, thawed -- I completely forgot to include these
• 1/2 C reduced fat feta -- I like cheese in pasta salad, so I added this in!

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Rinse pasta with cold water; drain again and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, prepare salad dressing by mixing together oil, lemon juice, oregano, mustard, salt, black pepper and garlic; set aside until ready to use.

In a large bowl, combine cooked pasta with vegetables and feta; pour in dressing and toss thoroughly to coat. Cover and chill about 2 hours.

Review: Personally, I prefer Italian dressing based salads to creamy mayonnaise based salads. I thought this turned out really well. The veggies bulked it up and made it very colorful. The dressing was flavorful. I brought it to a friend's cookout. I think most people liked it but veggie haters probably won't be fans.