This smoked mozzarella pasta salad is a wonderful recipe to save for quick dinners, eating at the ballpark or for end of summer BBQs. It is fast and so easy to put together and one of my favorites.
I used to buy a version of this pasta salad at Whole Foods all the time. The Whole Foods version is so good but always just a little too much dressing for my taste. So I started making a very similar adaptation of the recipe at home and even though I typically don’t care for pasta salads, this is always a favorite of mine.
You can serve this warm or cold and make it up to two days ahead of time.
- 2 cups spinach, roughly chopped and stems removed
- 8oz jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
- 8oz penne pasta
- 4oz smoked mozzarella or smoked gouda cheese
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese
- Cook pasta according to package directions in pot of salted boiling water.
- While that is cooking, assemble the dressing for the pasta in a small bowl by adding mayo, vinegar, garlic and parmesan cheese. Whisk until smooth and creamy.
- Once the pasta is al dente, drain water and set aside to allow it to cool.
- Add red peppers, spinach and mozzarella cheese. Pour dressing over the top just before serving and mix well.
For a tangier dressing, you can add up to 1/4 cup of white vine vinegar to this recipe. Also feel free to substitute another cheese if you don’t care for smoked mozzarella. I also like smoked gouda or cheddar might work. This recipe doesn’t have a lot of ingredients so the smokey cheese really does add a lot of flavor.
Once last note- I typically toss in the spinach fresh but you can certainly blanch the spinach first if you like.
And that is it! Such a delicious and creamy salad.
If you like this recipe, here are a few other ideas you might also enjoy:
Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Sandwich
Copycat PF Changs Mongolian Beef
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