Big Italian Salad Recipes

QUICK ITALIAN SALAD

Steps:

• For the dressing: In a blender, add the olive oil, mayonnaise, Parmesan, parsley, sugar, vinegar, black pepper, salt, red pepper flakes, garlic and lemon juice and blend until pureed.
• For the salad: Put the romaine and iceberg greens in a large bowl and toss with the dressing. Top the salad with the pepperoncini, olives, tomatoes and onions. Sprinkle with Parmesan at the end.

BIG ITALIAN SALAD

Steps:

• Make the dressing: Combine all dressing ingredients in a food processor and blitz to blend.
• Place all of the salad ingredients except for the cheese in a large bowl. Right before serving, add about half of the dressing and toss well. Add more dressing little by little as necessary; be sure to dress greens very generously, otherwise salad will be bland. Toss in the cheese, then taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary.
• Note: Ricotta salata is an Italian sheep's milk cheese that has a salty, slightly tangy flavor, almost like a dry Italian feta. It is not the same as the wet ricotta in the tub. You can find it at Whole Foods, gourmet grocers or specialty cheese shops.
• Note: Nutritional information was calculated assuming ½ cup of ricotta salata and all of the dressing was used.

BIG ITALIAN SALAD WITH COLD CUTS

Steps:

• Make the dressing: Whisk together all of the ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.
• Make the salad mix: Spin dry all the lettuces, celery, parsley, and onion in a salad spinner. Wrap in paper towels to dry thoroughly and refrigerate.
• Meanwhile, halve the cherry tomatoes and olives and transfer to a very large bowl. Shave the cheese with a vegetable peeler to yield 1 cup. Reserve some of the shaved cheese for garnish and add the remaining cheese to the bowl.
• Remove the vegetables from the paper towels and add to the bowl. Season with fleur de sel. Add the dressing and toss to coat. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Scatter the salami and reserved cheese over the top and serve immediately. Alternatively, prepare the salad mix and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Toss each serving with some of the dressing, as needed.