When trying to decide which dressing would be best on a salad to go with a couple of rich pasta dishes, I decided I would serve my simple chopped romaine with a basic Italian dressing. I already had posted a really good Italian dressing on my blog, but I wanted something a little different. I wanted a more subtle dressing; a dressing that would be ever so light on the palate.  So I went on line and started researching “Italian Dressing”. The recipe you find below is my version of a dressing that has an abundance of flavor while still maintaining the “bearable lightness of being”. (Sorry Mr. Kundera for butchering the title to your acclaimed novel.)

So give this recipe a try. Just don’t limit its use to just green salads. I think it would work very well on a pasta salad, for example. It’s basically just a simple dressing that I’m sure your entire family will enjoy.

(And no, I did not include a picture of the dressing. I figured if someone wanted to know what Italian salad dressing looked like, they desperately needed a wild adventure in their life, i.e. a trip to their local grocery store!)

• ¼ c. white wine vinegar
• 2 T. water
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1½ tsp. sugar
• ½ tsp. Italian seasoning
• ½ tsp. dried parsley
• 1¼ tsp. kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1-2 T. finely grated Parmesan cheese
• ¼ c. vegetable oil
• ½ c. extra virgin olive oil  

Combine all ingredients in a covered jar and shake until emulsified. Serve on any salad of choice. Best allowed to come to room temperature before using. Better made a day or two ahead.