Mixed Vegetable Salad with Pasta
Portions: 25
Portion Size: 4 oz.
Per Serving: Calories 290, Protein 6 gram, Fat 22 grams (67% cal.), Cholesterol 5 milligrams, Carbohydrates 18 grams, Fiber 4 grams, Sodium 420 milligrams.

Ingredients:
1 ½ lb. Cooked ditalini pasta, cold
1 lb. Cooked chickpeas or other dried beans, cold
12 oz. Zucchini, medium dice, raw or blanched
12 oz. Green beans, cooked, cut into ½” lengths
8 0z. Red onions, diced
6 oz. Small pitted black olives
6 oz. Celery, diced
4 oz. Green bell pepper, diced
4 oz. Red bell pepper, diced
¼ cup Capers, drained
4 oz. Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 ½ pt. Italian Dressing (See below)
25 Lettuce leaves for underliners
25 Tomato wedges or cherry tomatoes

Procedure:
1. Combine the pasta, beans, vegetables, and cheese in a large bowl. Toss to mix.
2. No more than 1-2 hours before service, add the dressing and toss.
3. Arrange the lettuce leaves on cold salad plates.
4. Just before service, place a 4 oz. portion of the salad on each lettuce leaf.
5. Garnish each salad with tomato wedge.

Variations:
Add 1 lb. diced or sliced salami, pepperoni, or mozzarella cheese to the salad mixture.

Basic Vinaigrette (See Variations: Italian Dressing)
Yield: 1 qt.
Per 1 fl. oz.:Calories 180, Protein 0 gram, Fat 21 grams (100% cal.), Cholesterol 0 milligrams, Carbohydrates 0 grams, Fiber 0 grams, Sodium 220 milligrams.

Ingredients:
1 cup Wine vinegar
1 tbsp. Salt
1 tsp. White pepper
3 cups Salad oil, olive oil, or part salad oil and part olive oil

Procedure:
1. Mix the vinegar, salt, and white pepper until the salt is dissolved.
2. Using a wire whip, a mixing machine, or a blender, begin adding the oil a few drops at a time. Gradually increase the oil to a thin stream. (See Temporary Emulsion below)
3. Mix again before using. (The best way to re-emulsify a separated vinaigrette is to put it in a blender and spin at high speed until it is recombined.)

Variations:
Italian Dressing: use all or part olive oil. Add to the basic recipe 1 ½ tsp. minced garlic, 1 tbsp. dried oregano, and ¼ cup chopped parsley.

Temporary Emulsions:
A simple oil-and-vinegar dressing is called a temporary emulsion because two liquids always separate after being shaken or beaten together. In a standard vinaigrette, the vinegar is broken into tiny droplets. These droplets are mixed evenly, or suspended, throughout the oil.

The harder the mixture is beaten or shaken, the longer it takes for it to separate. This is because the vinegar is broken into smaller droplets, so the droplets take longer to recombine with each other and separate from the oil. When a mixture of oil and vinegar is mixed in a blender, the resulting mixture stays in emulsion considerably longer.

Some ingredients act as stabilizers (See below). For example, when mustard is added to the mixture, the vinaigrette stays emulsified longer. Other ingredients that work this way include vegetable purees and stocks with a good gelatin content. Even these mixtures, however, will separate when they stand long enough. They should be mixed again before use.

Recipe Retrieved From:
Gisslen, Wayne. 2011. Professional Cooking. 7th Edition.Salad Dressings and Salads: Mixed Vegetable Salad with Pasta. Pg. 733

Gisslen, Wayne. 2011. Professional Cooking. 7th Edition.Salad Dressing and Salads: Basic Vinaigrette. Pg. 707

Gisslen, Wayne. 2011. Professional Cooking. 7th Edition. Salad Dressings and Salads: Temporary Emulsions. Pg. 702

Photo Retrieved From: