Healthified Pasta Salad

I LOVE pasta salad!  My favorite ones use to be slathered with unhealthy mayo!  That was until I discovered that hemp seeds turn dressings into amazing creamy ones!

Healthified Pasta Salad  

- adapted from my RHN Whitney Paige

1 package dry pasta (I used GoGo Quinoa macaroni)
Any vegetables you have on hand (I used celery, cucumber, green onions and carrots)

Cook pasta as per package directions.  Rinse in cold water.  Mix in vegetables.

Dressing:
1/2 cup ketchup (I ran out of my organic ketchup - shhhh!)
2 tbsp. maple syrup
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. hemp seeds
salt & pepper
water to thin

Blend until smooth and pour over salad. Toss to coat.

Note - the original recipe said to blend dressing ingredients in a magic bullet.  I don't have one so I first ground up my hemp seeds in my food processor and then added the rest of the ingredients and processed until smooth!

FUN FACTS

- hemp seeds - contain all nine of the essential amino acids

- maple syrup - contains a host of natural minerals such as calcium, vitamin B, zinc, potassium and magnesium.