This simple Italian salad is loaded with olives, paparazzi, red onions and cherry tomatoes and tossed with a delicious Italian sauce. This light side salad takes a few minutes to prepare and is perfect for serving with pasta or a variety of meals.
This Italian salad recipe has happened so much in the flavors department. It’s like salad-shaped antipasto and it’s delicious!
This should be a recipe for a side salad when you crave something fresh and crunchy with a warm and pleasant pasta dish. As much as I like it with an Italian-inspired meal, it is perfect for a wide variety of menus and can even be turned into a main course salad with a little protein added.
Ingredient notes
- lettuce – Romanian hearts are the main center of a novel head and a classic choice for an Italian salad. The leaves are lighter in color and sweet in taste than the dark green outer leaves. You will need one Romanian heart for this recipe.
- Lettuce butter – I like the contrast of the delicate butter lettuce with crispy romaine. For a beautiful color contrast, look for a butter lettuce mixture in a bag.
- Red onion – Finely chopped.
- Cherry tomatoes or grapes
- black olives – Be sure to buy whole pitted olives and slice them in half if they are very large. We love black olives but you can choose green olives or kalamata if you prefer them.
- Paparcini– Paparazzini pickled in a jar of sweet, delicate and spicy and not seasoned at all. They add so much classic Italian flavor!
- Croutons – Homemade croutons like my sausage bun croutons (pictured in this post) or the focaccia croutons I make with my grilled chicken emperor salad are a perfect choice.
- Italian dressing – This salad is delicious with my light Italian sauce (pictured above) but also really good with any type of sauce you like (see ideas below).
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Shaved Parmesan cheese – To get beautiful, thin chips from your block of parmesan, use the cutting blade on a grater or run a vegetable peeler along one of the flat sides.
The best sauce for an Italian salad
Although I love this salad with a bold and delicious homemade Italian sauce, I do not hesitate to use almost any sauce I happen to have in the fridge. Try it with a light blue cheese sauce and cream with a few more crumbs of blue cheese on top. Honey balsamic vinaigrette is another great choice. Whether homemade or in-store shopping, toss this salad with your favorite sauce and turn it into something a little different each time.
How to make an Italian salad
- Mix all the salad ingredients in a large bowl, except the parmesan, croutons and sauce. Throw in the union.
- Add the croutons and drizzle the salad with the amount of sauce you want. Toss again (be careful not to break the croutons). Garnish with pepper and parmesan and serve with extra sauce on the side.
Submission suggestions
A simple Italian salad
This simple Italian salad is loaded with olives, paparazzi, red onions and cherry tomatoes and tossed with a delicious Italian sauce. This light side salad takes a few minutes to prepare and is perfect for serving with pasta or a variety of meals.
Component
- 1 Romanian heart, Chopped (3 cups)
- 4 Cups Loosely packaged butter lettuce mixture
- ½ A little red onion, Finely chopped
- 1 Goblet Red cherry tomatoes or halved grapes
- ½ Goblet Pitted medium-sized black olives, Whole or halved
- ½ Goblet Paparazzini sliced in a jar
- 1 Goblet Croutons, Like sausage bun croutons
- ¾ Goblet Homemade Italian sauce, Or your favorite salad dressing
- Freshly ground black pepper, taste
- ¼ Goblet Shaved Parmesan cheese, see notes
Instructions
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Mix all the ingredients, except the parmesan, croutons and sauce. Throw in the union. Add the croutons and drizzle with as much sauce as you want. Toss again to disperse the sauce (be careful not to break the croutons). Garnish with pepper, to taste, and Parmesan chips. Serve with extra sauce on the side.
Remarks
How to shave Parmesan cheese
To get nice, thin chips from your block of parmesan, use the slicing blade on a grater or run a vegetable peeler along one of the flat sides.
diet
Calories: 139 JNF · Carbohydrates: 11 P · protein: 4 P · Oil: 9 P · Saturated fat: 2 P · Polyunsaturated fat: 3 P · Unsaturated fat: 3 P · trans fat: 1 P · Cholesterol: 3 Mg · sodium: 562 Mg · potassium: 258 Mg · fiber: 2 P · Sugar: 5 P · vitamin: 2988 IU · Vitamin C: 17 Mg · calcium: 87 Mg · iron: 1 Mg
Nutritional information is automatically calculated using generic components, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
