Smoked Mozzarella Pasta Salad¶

Grouprecipes.com, Inspired by a prepared salad at Whole Foods
Serves 8 to 10

Dressing

• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
• ½ cup chopped parsley
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ¼ cup white wine vinegar
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (1 ½ teaspoon)
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Salad

• ½ pound penne pasta
• 2 cups packed baby spinach, washed and stemmed
• 2 small jarred roasted red pepper, diced
• ½ pound smoked mozzarella cheese, diced

Directions

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.