Pasta salads have quickly become my go to side dish this summer. They’re usually pretty no-fuss, you can make them hours before you need them, and they’re always a crowd-pleaser.
This one isn’t your typical pasta salad since it’s more salad than pasta but hey, I’m still counting it. I made this for the 4th of July (because of the cute little star pasta!) and it was a hit with everyone. My kids won’t typically eat olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, or chickpeas but they were all over this. And I may have hidden the tiny bit we had leftover so my husband couldn’t get to it before I did.
If you have someone who claims to hate salads in your life, try this recipe on them! There’s so much good stuff going on that they won’t even realize they’re eating a salad!
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Italian Chopped Salad
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 - 3 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ⅓ cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
- coarse salt and fresh black pepper, to taste
For the salad:
- ¼ cup finely diced red onion
- ¾ cup chopped artichoke hearts
- ¾ cup diced plum tomatoes, seeds removed
- ¾ cup diced cucumber, seeds removed
- ¾ cup chopped pepperoni or salami
- ¾ cup diced mozzarella cheese
- ¾ cup sliced or chopped black olives
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup cooked small pasta, cooled
- 8 cups finely chopped romaine
- coarse salt and fresh black pepper
Instructions
- Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar, place top on it. Shake vigorously until all the ingredients are combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Make the salad:
- In a large mixing bowl toss everything together except the romaine, salt, and pepper.
- When ready to serve toss with the romaine then mix in dressing a little at a time until everything is evenly coated. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 383Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 802mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 6gSugar: 8gProtein: 12g
Tracey says
That star pasta is seriously the cutest thing ever! I wouldn’t even have to hide this from Shane, mr salad-hater himself :)