Smoked Mozzarella and Penne Spinach Salad
Ingredients
Parmesan Dressing:
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- ½ cup low-fat mayonnaise
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- Salt and pepper to taste
Salad:
- 12 ounces penne pasta
- 3 cups packed baby spinach
- 12 ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and diced
- 4-6 ounces smoked mozzarella cheese, diced
Instructions
- For the dressing, combine the Parmesan cheese, parsley, mayo, vinegar, garlic, cayenne and salt and pepper in a blender and process until the dressing is smooth. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. The dressing can be made up to two days ahead of time.
- To prepare the salad, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water until just tender, al dente. Drain the pasta into a colander and run cold water over it and drain well.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked pasta, spinach, roasted red peppers and smoked mozzarella. At this point, the salad and dressing can be refrigerated for a couple of hours separately before serving.
- Toss the salad with the dressing right before serving.
Notes
Grilled Chicken: this salad would be delicious with grilled chicken pieces tossed in or served alongside.
Make Ahead: also, the salad can be made up to two days in advance.
Dressing: store the dressing in a container, the pasta base in a container and add the spinach and dressing to the pasta right before serving.
Cheese: if you can’t find smoked mozzarella, many other cheeses could be subbed – regular mozz, fontina, feta – the options could be endless with this salad!