Smoked Mozzarella and Penne Spinach Salad

Smoked Mozzarella and Penne Spinach Salad is a meatless recipe built around grated Parmesan cheese, chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley and low-fat mayonnaise. Plan on 6 -8 servings and about 22 minutes.

• Yield 6 -8 servings
• Ready in 22 minutes
• Prep 10 minutes
• Cook 12 minutes

Ingredients

Parmesan Dressing

• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• ½ cup low-fat mayonnaise
• ¼ cup white wine vinegar
• 3 cloves garlic , finely minced
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper to taste

Salad

• 12 ounces penne pasta
• 3 cups packed baby spinach
• 12 ounce jar roasted red peppers , drained and diced
• 4-6 ounces smoked mozzarella cheese , diced

Instructions

1. For the dressing, combine the Parmesan cheese, parsley, mayo, vinegar, garlic, cayenne and salt and pepper in a blender and process until the dressing is smooth. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. The dressing can be made up to two days ahead of time.
2. To prepare the salad, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water until just tender, al dente. Drain the pasta into a colander and run cold water over it and drain well.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked pasta, spinach, roasted red peppers and smoked mozzarella. At this point, the salad and dressing can be refrigerated for a couple of hours separately before serving.
4. Toss the salad with the dressing right before serving.

Dress it just before it goes to the table so the leaves stay crisp.