If you liked the viral grinder sandwich you’re going to love this pasta salad!

It’s perfect for parties, or you can keep it all to yourself.

I’ve lightened it up to be Weight Watchers friendly, but no one will know.

I’ll show you exactly how I lightened it up.

The Ingredients

Pasta: I used 6 ounces of Barilla cellentani pasta. You can use regular macaroni noodles or your favorite noodle shape.

This is the food scale I used to weigh the pasta.

Turkey pepperoni: Instead of salami I used turkey pepperoni. It’s much lower in points but still tastes great.

Cherry tomatoes: I used 1 cup of cherry tomatoes and cut them in half.

Banana peppers: These add a bit of a crunch and flavor. I also used a splash of the banana pepper juice in the dressing.

Red onion: I used 1/2 of a small onion.

Cheese: I bought a block of part-skim mozzarella cheese. I only used two ounces but I cut it into small squares. You’ll be surprised how much cheese you get for two ounces.

The dressing: This is a mixture of light mayonnaise, fat free sour cream, red wine vinegar, oregano, minced garlic, a splash of banana pepper juice, salt, and black pepper.

Click here to track the points on your WW app.

How to Make Italian Grinder Pasta Salad

Start by cooking the noodles according to the directions on the box. Drain the noodles and let them cool.

While the noodles were cooking I chopped the vegetables. I also cut each of the turkey pepperoni into four pieces.

Next, I made the dressing. I whisked together the light mayonnaise, fat free sour cream, red wine vinegar, splash of banana pepper juice, oregano, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl.

Add the cooked pasta to a large mixing bowl. Then add the cherry tomatoes, turkey pepperoni, red onions, banana peppers, and cheese.

Pour the dressing into the bowl and mix everything together.

I like to refrigerate the pasta salad for an hour but you can also serve it right away.

Serving Suggestions

This pasta salad makes a great side dish when you’re grilling.

Chicken, steak, hamburgers, and hot dogs all go great.

Prep Time:20

Cook Time:11

Total Time:31

Ingredients

6 oz. Barilla cellentani pasta
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
20 turkey pepperoni (each pepperoni cut into 4 pieces)
1/2 small red onion, chopped
1/4 cup banana peppers, chopped
2 oz. part-skim mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes

For the dressing:

1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 splash banana pepper juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box. Drain and let the pasta cool.
Add the light mayonnaise, fat free sour cream, red wine vinegar, splash of banana pepper juice, oregano, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper to a small bowl. Whisk the ingredients together.
Add the cooked pasta, cherry tomatoes, turkey pepperoni, red onion, banana peppers, and cheese to a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the ingredients and stir together.

Here are some more WW friendly recipes:

Lightened Up Tuna Pasta Salad

Pizza Pasta Salad

Lightened Up Taco Salad

Cowboy Caviar Pasta Salad

If you’re looking for some zero point recipes, check out my post 20 Zero Point Recipes or my post 20 (More) Zero Point Recipes. Both are filled with delicious recipes that won’t cost you a single point! They’re perfect for days when you’re running low on points, or trying to save up points for a night out.

If you’re looking for dessert recipes you can visit 50 Weight Watchers Desserts. It’s filled with delicious desserts perfect for Weight Watchers!

Are you looking for a meal plan that’s Weight Watchers friendly? I have over 200 meal plans that you can choose from and I post a new one each week. Click here to check them out!