Minestrone Pasta Salad

(Sorry--the pic isn't great because all I had was my cell phone camera. The boys took my digital to the Pro-Am. Clicky biggie.)

3 cups uncooked medium pasta shells*
1 can (16 oz.) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz.) garbanzo OR chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can (14.5 oz.) Italian diced tomatoes, drained*
1 medium green pepper, chopped*
1 can (2.25 oz.) sliced ripe olives, drained*
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese*
2/3 cup fat-free Italian salad dressing*

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in large bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Drain pasta and rinse in cold water; add to bean mixture and toss. Add dressing and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours before serving.

13 (3/4 cup) servings
Per Serving:
210 calories
3 g fat (1 g saturated fat)
3 mg cholesterol
665 mg sodium
37 g carbohydrate
6 g fiber
10 g protein
Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 lean meat, 1 vegetable
Weight Watcher Points: 3.5 points

*The changes I made: Used rotini pasta (filled in with a little bow-tie because I ran out of rotini) because the shells cooked unevenly on the first salad for funeral. Used two small fresh tomatoes, seeded, because the canned looked a bit mushy. It looks so much better with fresh! Used half a green and half a red pepper this time. Used the 3.8 oz. can of sliced olives because I really like olives. Used fresh shredded Parmesan cheese instead. Used my favorite dressing, Kraft Caesar Vinaigrette with Parmesan instead (shown in pic.) Yum!

From Taste of Home's Light & Tasty 2004