
My favorite way to make macaroni salad, a must at every BBQ and perfect for Memorial Day. To lighten this I used light mayonnaise, lots of tomatoes and olives and high fiber pasta.
Macaroni Salad with Tomatoes
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 7 • Size: 3/4 cup • Time: 15 minutes • Old Points: 2 pts • Points+: 3 pts
- 6 oz uncooked elbows (I used Ronzoni Smart Taste
)
- 2 medium tomatoes, diced
- 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup light mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- dash garlic powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2.5 oz sliced black olives
- salt and pepper
Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water.
In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, tomatoes (and any juice from the tomato), olives, onion, garlic powder, oregano salt and pepper. Mix well. Add elbows and mix well.


















I don't love black olives, but yor sald looks wonderful!
ReplyDeleteThat looks great - I will have to try this one for sure.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure how points are calculated, but I like using Fiber Gourmet Pasta, which has a load of fiber but doesn't taste like it - tastes like regular pasta! Even my picky son can't tell it isn't his regular pasta (and he won't touch anything that is whole wheat).
@ erica, you can always omit the olives.
ReplyDelete@kat, i will have to try that brand. my family is picky with pasta too and they had no idea I switched pasta on them. I wish I liked whole wheat pasta but I would be lying if I said I did. Thank God for all these great high fiber pastas!
Looks great! I fool my family with the Dreamfields pasta all the time, too!
ReplyDeleteThis looks so good! Great recipe for the up-and coming Memorial Day weekend!
ReplyDelete:) thanks!
The olives and tomatoes look great...nice colors.
ReplyDeleteGreat picnic side and I love how precise you are with points!
ReplyDeleteLooks so good!
ReplyDeleteLooks wonderful and light. I still love the old fattening kind that my Mom used to make, but I bet if I made this one I'd like it too. Nice to have the lighter options.
ReplyDeletewow! Great job at point-skimming! This looks fantastically satisfying without the burdening points!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I hope you enjoy the long weekend!
i made this for a memorial day bbq and it was a HUGE hit!! there were 4 women who watch points, but the guys loved it just as much!
ReplyDeletegabbie
Thanks so much for this recipe. It's a huge help for those pasta cravings, and is just delicious without the high points...
ReplyDeleteI have to refrain from making it too often :)
I like adding more free green veggies in this without adding more points!
ReplyDeleteI just made this today, it's fantastic. I also added some diced cucumber and used italian seasoning instead of just oregano.
ReplyDeleteI loved it.One of my friends made it tonight and it was to die for. I am so making it tomorrow. Just amazing that it is so good and yet healthy for ya.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Gina.
This looks so yummy -- love your site! One question.... is this one really supposed to be 6 oz (3/4 cup) dry pasta for serving 7? Thanks!
ReplyDelete@ Anonymous - Yes, 6 oz dry is 1-1/2 cups dry elbows which yields about 3-3/4 cups cooked.
ReplyDeleteLoved this recipe!! Simple, light, easy to make! A great addition to any meal.
ReplyDeleteJust made it tonight and paired it with some turkey burgers and fruit! Excellent light side dish...the oregano especially gives it a nice unique kick away from the usual cold pasta salad. Loved it! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThis makes me think of Summer, I can't wait!!
ReplyDeleteMy gosh, I just love your blog. I don't follow WW but your recipes are all so tasty and healthy. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThat's great! No need to be on WW to make any of my recipes.
ReplyDeleteHi! great recipe, and I'd really like to try it, but I can't find the elbow pasta in the smart taste that you recomended. Are any of the others equal substitutes? The one I bought was 180 cals. 7 grams fiber and 0.5 grams fat per serving. It was also smart taste, but it was a different kind.thank you!!!!
ReplyDeleteAs long as it's 3 points for 2 oz uncooked, should be good. Dreamfields or whole wheat also work fine.
ReplyDelete6oz is only 3/4 of a cup.
ReplyDelete@Anonymous on 5/24/10 - 6 oz is 3/4 cup liquid measurement. Perhaps the 6 oz referred to in the recipe is by weight.
ReplyDeleteWhere would I get the Dreamfields and Ronzini SmartTaste high fiber pastas?
ReplyDeleteThey sell it in the pasta section of the supermarket by me. I'm not sure if it's available everywhere.
ReplyDeleteI always have trouble when you use oz with pasta and other ingrediants. it would be helpful to know how many cups or tbsp to use.
ReplyDeleteSince points and calories are calculated based on oz, this is the standard. I'm assuming you don't have a food scale. I recommend buying an inexpensive one, so helpful!! Generally 2 oz uncooked is 1 cup cooked pasta. So this is about 3 cups of cooked elbows. Hope that helps.
ReplyDeleteI am trying this recipe this weekend for my family that is coming into town!!! I am excited!
ReplyDeleteI just "discovered" this site and tried this recipe almost immediately as an accompaniment to grilled portabella burgers. It was a very nice alternative to the usual unhealthy BBQ side dishes, and my partner didn't even notice that it was specifically low-calorie. I look forward to more of your recipes!
ReplyDeleteWhat if u added a can of shrimmp? How does that effect the points?? Thanks
ReplyDeleteI LOVED this recipe!! I used Ronzoni Smart Taste Penne, instead of regular elbow. I also used Fat Free Mayo, saving me a point. And I saw a comment on here to try Italian seasoning in place of oregano. Awsesome! I got my guilty pleasure and I took for a BBQ for the 4th and everyone loved it!!
ReplyDeleteI love this salad. I knew I would just from the photo, but it taste even better than it looks!
ReplyDeleteI am not on the weight watchers program, but stumbled on to this site due to health issues. Time and habits have caught up to me and I must really make a change in lifestyles. At first this felt like such a punishment.Food not only brought me comfort by eating, but also sharing my talents in the kitchen with others. One of my "hobbies " was searching out and trying new recipes. Thanks for this site and allowing me to still have fun AND be healthy!
I'm not sure how canned shrimp would effect the points, you'd have to check on your recipe builder.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous- Good for you for changing your eating habits to a healthier one. You can now have a new hobby, lightening up your favorite recipes!! Thanks for leaving a comment!
I can't wait to try this one. Thanks so much for all these wonderful recipes.
ReplyDeleteI made this dish and it was soooo delicious! I've also made the Avacado Mango Salsa, Baby Red Potato Salad, Holy Slaw,& the Southwestern Salad. I'm in heaven!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for these great recipes. I will be trying many others in the near future.
I would like to try this recipe as it looks amazing, but I'm wondering if anyone knows the carbs per serving on this..Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI came up with 4 points under the PointsPlus system
ReplyDeleteSo it's 4 Points plus per serving, using WW NEW system? I love this recipe, but didn't know how much it was Points +
ReplyDeleteI made this last night for dinner, everyone but my 10 year old loved it. I will for sure be keeping this in my recipe box.........
ReplyDeleteGina, do you know how this recipe translates into calories per serving? Thank you!! I'm so excited that I found this website!! :)
ReplyDeleteWould using fat free mayo make a difference with points?
ReplyDeleteI just discovered your blog and am in heaven! I am a teacher, so I have A LOT of free time on my hands right now... so, my summer plan is to cook my way through your blog! :)
-Emily
Emily - It may lower the points. So jealous! Wish I had a lot of free time!
ReplyDeleteI'm trying this recipe tonight, but am not a fan of olives...so I'm substituting scallions. I'm so excited!!
ReplyDeleteI made this followed it to the T. it is soooooooo good!
ReplyDeleteAm I missing something? I do not see the calories.
ReplyDeleteLooks amazing though
Turkey pepperoni would be a perfect add in along with some diced up Lite String Cheese!!!!
ReplyDeleteHow much calorie would this meal be?
ReplyDeleteFYI, the Canadian equivalent of Ronzoni Smart Taste is Catelli Smart Pasta. (Catelli is owned by Ronzoni)
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I loved this!! So simple yet so delicious! Thanks Gina!
ReplyDeleteWhat are the calories per serving?
ReplyDeleteI put it in a recipe calculator. It is around 106 calories per serving.
ReplyDelete