Rotini with Squeaky Cheese (Yes, Squeaky Cheese)

I work with some really terrific people. My friend, Debbie, is one of them. She came to work the other day armed with a recipe for me to make for the blog. The recipe called for Quark cheese.
What? Quark? Where was I going to find that? Debbie assured me that it could be found, so I set off to make one of Debbie’s favorite recipes.

Her recipe was for a pasta salad from a restaurant called Pasta and Company. No pressure there! A salad she loved from a well known restaurant. Yikes!

I followed the recipe exactly as written. I didn’t want to disappoint Debbie, and besides, this was our dinner.

Fantastic! Very light and refreshing. The recipe makes 11 one cup servings (odd amount if you ask me), but we found 1 1/2 cups to be more satisfying.

Happy cooking!

Serves 11 (one cup servings)

2 cups cottage cheese
1/3 cup plus 2 Tbs nonfat Quark
1/3 cup plus 2 Tbs white wine vinegar
2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 Tbs fresh minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp salt
2/3 pound rotini (I used a whole wheat pasta)
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced green onion
1 cup cucumber in 1/4 inch dices (not peeled and seeded)
16 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup white vinegar
pinch salt
2 Tbs parsley, minced

Cook pasta according to package directions, and rinse under cold water.

In a large bowl combine 1 1/2 cups cottage cheese, Quark, vinegar, olive oil, garlic and salt and pepper to taste.

Combine cheese mixture and pasta.

Add green onion and cucumber and chill.

Combine cherry tomatoes with 1/4 white vinegar and a pinch of salt.

Serve pasta topped with remaining cottage cheese, tomatoes and parsley.

What’s good for me in this dish?

Tomatoes provide a great source of vitamins C, A and K, not to mention the antioxidant and cancer preventing benefits of Lycopene. Tomatoes support colon and prostate health, and are a good source of potassium, niacin, vitamin B6, and folate to support a healthy heart.

Whole wheat contains fiber, protein, niacin, vitamin B6 and several minerals. One of the biggest benefits of whole wheat flours over refined white flour is the boost in fiber. Most people don’t get enough fiber in their diet. Fiber is necessary to keep your digestive system functioning at its best.

Total Fat: 3.06g
Cholesterol: 10mg
Sodium: 196mg
Total Carbs: 10.82g
Dietary Fiber: 0.54g
Sugars: 2.71g
Protein: 7.02g

Weight Watchers Points 3

Nutrition details obtained from whfoods.org, nutritiondata.com, about.com, and abouthomecooking.com I am not a licensed nutritionist, nor a medical professional, and do not mean this information as medical or nutrition advice. See your medical professional if you have questions regarding your nutritional needs.

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