Your favorite Italian Dressing recipe?

White balsamic vinegar makes all the difference to me.

There is no such thing as "salad dressing" in Italy - you take the salad, put olive oil on it, vinegar and salt (i add pepper but most don't) and just mix like crazy.  THAT is "Italian salad dressing"

I've said it before i think on these forums, the italian saying is

Be a pauper with the vinegar

A spendthrift with the oil

and mix and mix and mix

While in restaurants in Italy you may get your salad with oil and vinegar cruets on the side so you do it yourself, you really can't dress an Italian salad in your own personal bowl because there's not enough space to toss it.  Dress it in a big bowl and then toss it well.  Every piece should be coated. They give you the cruets in the restaurants (trattorie at least) because people like different quantities. 

Of course, i know you mean bottled american "italian" salad dressing, and it has its appeal for sure (I'm not a snob and i do enjoy it when i go to the states), but it was a shock to find out when i came here that nobody even mixes up a simple vinaigrette, but dresses it right on the salad.  And i do prefer it that way myself, in the end.  It's much simpler and enhances the salad ingredients.  If you have lousy ingredients you may need more seasonings. .  

Also it may come as a surprise that, outside of Modena,  the balsamic vinegar is a very recent trend here too.

I use one that I found in a magazine long ago.   I've lost the correct proportions now, but it boils down to this

a little mustart (orig. called for dry must. I use whatever I can find, yellow - Poupon, etc),

salt pepper,

herbs of choice (that usually means basil or thyme for me)

parsley,

garlic > I go heavy on this for myself.  I lighten up when others are having it too - or could omit

I use wine vinegar (white or red whatever I have) and

EVOO.  

I try to make it 2 parts oil to 1 part vinegar, but sometimes it doesn't emulsify well, so I have to add a little more oil.  I put all of it in a jar, shake and I have a great "Italian" dressing.

For pasta salad, I add Parmesean, or Romano too

DD

Quote:

Originally Posted by siduri 

There is no such thing as "salad dressing" in Italy - you take the salad, put olive oil on it, vinegar and salt (i add pepper but most don't) and just mix like crazy.  THAT is "Italian salad dressing"

I've said it before i think on these forums, the italian saying is

 

Be a pauper with the vinegar

A spendthrift with the oil

and mix and mix and mix

 

While in restaurants in Italy you may get your salad with oil and vinegar cruets on the side so you do it yourself, you really can't dress an Italian salad in your own personal bowl because there's not enough space to toss it.  Dress it in a big bowl and then toss it well.  Every piece should be coated. They give you the cruets in the restaurants (trattorie at least) because people like different quantities. 

 

Of course, i know you mean bottled american "italian" salad dressing, and it has its appeal for sure (I'm not a snob and i do enjoy it when i go to the states), but it was a shock to find out when i came here that nobody even mixes up a simple vinaigrette, but dresses it right on the salad.  And i do prefer it that way myself, in the end.  It's much simpler and enhances the salad ingredients.  If you have lousy ingredients you may need more seasonings. .  

 

Also it may come as a surprise that, outside of Modena,  the balsamic vinegar is a very recent trend here too.

Oh Siduri, I don't know why it's called Italian dressing when clearly it's greek dressing lol!  That's how greeks dress their salads as well.  Olive oil, vinegar, salt.  Of course in Greece there's no such thing as a "greek salad" either. 
 

1 part vinegar

3 parts olive oil

salt

fresh ground black pepper

You want herbs? Put 'em in the salad!

You want cheese? Grate some on!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Koukouvagia 

 

Oh Siduri, I don't know why it's called Italian dressing when clearly it's greek dressing lol!  That's how greeks dress their salads as well.  Olive oil, vinegar, salt.  Of course in Greece there's no such thing as a "greek salad" either. 
 

 

In fact, it's not called italian dressing here either.