Broccoli And Basil Pasta Salad With Creamy Orange Mustard Dressing

Directions

1. Cook the pasta till barely al dente according to package directions. Add in broccoli and carrots and cook for 30 to 60 seconds, or possibly till the broccoli turns bright green and is crisp and tender. Drain the pasta and vegetables, rinse with cool water and drain again. Transfer the mix to a large bowl, toss in the red pepper.
2. In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients and stir to mix. Pour the dressing over the pasta and vegetables and toss gently to mix well. Cover the salad and refrigeratefor at least 2 hrs or possibly overnight before serving.
3. Serves from 4 to 12 as entree or possibly appetizer.
4. REPORT from [email protected] 2001-09-25: Tested with tri-color corkscrew pasta cooked in water seasoned with a vegetable flake salt substitute (Lawrys). To feed two we halved the salad recipe and quartered the dressing recipe and still there was too much dressing. We used a lowfat sour cream and plain non-fat yogurt mix (3tbs cream to 1tbs yogurt). REVIEW: The dressing was not too sweet; we did add in a smidge more mustard than called for; and a healthy pinch of salt. Fresh basil is a must. Could do this salad with broccoli stems only, just to keep the textures similar. Very tasty. Colorful. Would make a good portable lunch, too.
5. Description: "Light and tasty. Fresh basil is a must!"