Smoked Mozzarella Pasta Salad
grouprecipes.com
Serves 8 to 10
Inspired by a prepared salad at Whole Foods
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (1 1/2 tsp.)
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Salad
- 1/2 pound penne pasta
- 2 cups packed baby spinach, washed and stemmed
- 2 small jarred roasted red pepper, diced
- 1/2 pound smoked mozzarella cheese, diced
Combine the Parmesan cheese, parsley, mayonnaise, vinegar, garlic, cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper with a hand mixer or in the bowl of food processor or in a blender until the dressing is smooth.
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until it is al dente. Drain the pasta into a colander, run cold water over it or submerge it in ice water until chilled through, and drain well. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked pasta, spinach, roasted red peppers, and smoked mozzarella.