Pasta Salad with Homemade Italian Dressing – Easy to make and can be made to suit any taste. You can prepare this salad as a vegetarian, or add meat to it. It can be a main dish or a side dish. And Italian dressing will add a touch of spicy, salty, garlicky flavor!
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What do we need to prepare a salad with Italian dressing?
- Pasta. Use large pasta. It is best to use fusilli (spirals) because the salad dressing “clings” to them perfectly.
- Vegetables. Cucumber and red onion, juicy cherry tomatoes (you can use different colors to your taste) and fresh pea shoots and parsley.
- Cheese – This recipe uses mini mozzarella balls to provide a creamy flavor that complements the crunchy vegetables.
If we consider this recipe in particular, then the listed products are the basis for the salad. That is, it can be prepared exclusively from them, or supplemented with other ingredients, or something can be changed.
So if you don’t have pea shoots, you can easily replace them with spinach, watercress, or arugula. The same applies to mozzarella: you can substitute it with feta, goat cheese or even cubes of cheddar cheese.
If you want to create a main dish, add cooked shredded chicken, chopped crispy bacon, or small slices of salami to the salad. For a Mediterranean-style dish, replace the cherries with sun-dried tomatoes, add olives, anchovies and roasted red peppers.
As you can see, there are many variations for the dish, and you will love this unusual combination of pasta and vegetables. Write your feedback about this recipe in the comments.
Pasta salad recipe with Italian dressing
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Easy pasta salad with Italian dressing
This is a simple and delicious salad with pasta and homemade Italian dressing. The dish can be both a part of dinner and an independent one.
Ingredients
Pasta Salad
- Pasta – 500 gr. (fusilli for this recipe)
- Cherry tomatoes – 450 gr., sliced in half
- Mozzarella – 300 gr., sliced in half
- Cucumber – 4 pcs. (small), or 1 regular cucumber, sliced
- Salad onion – 1 pc. (large), peeled and sliced
- Pea shoots – 65 gr. (can be replaced with soft arugula)
- Parsley – 1 bunch (large), chopped
Italian Style Dressing
- Olive oil – 120 ml. (½ cup)
- White wine vinegar – 45 ml. (3 tbsp)
- Lemon zest and juice – ½
- Garlic – 1 clove, peeled and minced
- Sugar – 1 tsp.
- Dried oregano – ½ tsp.
- Salt – 1 tsp. (Maldon salt)
- Black pepper – ¼ tsp.
- Fresh parsley – 2 tbsp. l., finely chopped
Instructions
Boil the pasta according to the instructions on the package. Drain and run under cold water to cool and prevent sticking.
It is best to use spirals, they go well with salad dressing.
And while the pasta is cooking, prepare the Italian salad dressing by mixing all the dressing ingredients in a mixer or jar until smooth. The sequence of their addition is not relevant.
Transfer the cooked pasta to a large serving bowl.
We begin to collect our salad. Add tomatoes, mozzarella, cucumber, red onion, peas, and parsley. Cut the tomatoes and mozzarella in half, and the cucumber into circles.
Pour over half of the dressing and toss together.
Serve the pasta salad with the remaining dressing.
Bon appétit!
Notes
- If desired, replace the pea shoots with arugula.
- Replace the mozzarella with feta, goat cheese, or cheddar.
- Add sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, olives, and anchovies for a Mediterranean-style salad.
- Add cooked shredded chicken, chopped crispy bacon or small slices of salami/chorizo/coppa/prosciutto to make the salad a main dish.
Nutrition Information
Serving Size
8 servingsAmount Per Serving Calories 482Total Fat 27gSaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 13mgSodium 343mgCarbohydrates 53gFiber 4gSugar 5gProtein 18g
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