Italian Pasta Salad

This fresh, summery pasta salad works great as a meatless lunch, or as a side dish for grilled chicken.  Find mozzarella balls in the deli section of your local grocery store. If you can't find them,  use fresh mozzarella sliced into 1 inch pieces.

1 lb whole wheat penne pasta
1 container grape tomatoes
1 cup small mozzarella balls (celingini)
1 cup baby arugula
6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp Red Muscadine Vinegar
1 Tbsp The Delicious Dietitian Italian Spice Blend


Boil pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.  Drain and set aside.  Slice grape tomatoes and mozzarella balls in half, set aside.  Sauté garlic in 2 Tbsp olive oil until soft and fragrant.  Add garlic to drained pasta.  Whisk together remaining olive oil, vinegar, and Italian Spice Blend.  Add tomatoes, mozzarella, and arugula to pasta.  Drizzle oil and vinegar mixture over pasta mixture and mix well.

Serving size, 1/2 cup