Smoked Mozzarella Pasta Salad
Try this Smoked Mozzarella Pasta Salad recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Smoked Mozzarella Pasta Salad recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise
- 3 cloves garlic minced (1 and 1/2 tsp.)
- 1/2 pound whole wheat penne pasta
- 2 cups packed baby spinach washed and stemmed
- 4 pieces jarred roasted red pepper diced
- 1/2 pound smoked mozzarella cheese diced (use regular mozzarella if you can't find smoked)
- fresh basil (optional)
- Carbohydrate 2.39519929075259 g
- Cholesterol 24.418694801752 mg
- Fat 9.63713533208229 g
- Fiber 0.227700002723292 g
- Protein 7.87266181093841 g
- Saturated Fat 3.87409189420907 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (97g)
- Sodium 320.26017317547 mg
- Sugar 2.1674992880293 g
- Trans Fat 0.528076695588899 g
- Calories 129 calories
Step-by-step
- 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.
- Garnish with fresh basil, if desired.
- For best results, make this ahead of time and let chill for 2-4 hours before serving.
- Serve cold.
Smoked mozzarella drives this dish, providing both a dense chew and a distinct phenolic aroma that anchors the entire bowl. Managing that density alongside tender pasta requires deliberate choices in kitchen hardware.
Equipment Essentials and Workarounds
Processing the dressing requires mechanical force to emulsify the mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, and parmesan into a cohesive coating. A standard food processor or blender handles this best, though an immersion blender in a tall, narrow vessel prevents splatter. When boiling the penne, use a spacious pot with at least four quarts of rolling boiling water to prevent starch buildup, ensuring the exterior of the wheat tubes does not turn gummy. Cooling the pasta rapidly halts internal cooking; submerge the drained penne directly into an ice water bath until the internal temperature drops completely, then spin it thoroughly in a salad spinner to remove excess surface moisture that would otherwise dilute the dressing.
Preserving Structural Integrity
Pasta salads fail structurally when starch gums up or cheese sweats out into a greasy film. Whole wheat penne demands strict adherence to al dente timing, usually between eight and ten minutes, because overcooked tubes collapse under the weight of the cheese and roasted peppers. Chilling the combined mixture for two to four hours allows the smoked mozzarella to firm up slightly while absorbing the garlic-spiked vinegar emulsion without breaking the mayonnaise base.
