Italian chopped salad

Enjoy a burst of Mediterranean flavors with this delicious Italian chopped salad. Fresh ingredients, aromatic herbs, and zesty dressing create the perfect culinary experience.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
• Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 450g bacon
• 2 cups ditalini pasta, cooked al dente and cooled
• 1 cup crumbled gorgonzola
• 2 hearts romaine, chopped
• 1/4 small head red cabbage, chopped
• 1/4 head iceberg, chopped
• 1 to 2 large tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 small red onion, minced

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 190 °C. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
2. For the dressing: Combine vinegar, honey, Italian seasoning, garlic, salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor. While blending, slowly add the olive oil until the dressing comes together and thickens. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, and adjust consistency with more oil if desired.
3. For the salad: Arrange the bacon slices in rows on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Place in the preheated oven on the top rack and bake until the bacon is crispy, around 10 to 15 minutes. Once cooked, chop the bacon into pieces for the salad.
4. In a large bowl, mix together the chopped bacon, pasta, gorgonzola cheese, romaine lettuce, cabbage, iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, and red onions. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss everything together until well combined. Taste the salad, and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.

Summary:

• Calories: 4373 kcal
• Fat: 321 g
• Protein: 131 g
• Carbs: 245 g
• Potassium: 4274 mg
• Magnesium: 352 mg