Creamy Pesto Chicken Salad with Greens
For a healthy variation on creamy chicken salad, we've replaced half the mayonnaise with basil pesto. Serve over greens or make it into a sandwich for a healthy lunch.
Tortellini Salad
A tomato-rich dressing boosts the flavor and lowers calories and fat in this tortellini salad (the dressing is also great on green salads or grilled fish). Roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes add a good dose of vitamins A, C and fiber.
Mediterranean Tuna Antipasto Salad
Packed with protein and fiber, this tuna and bean salad is ready in a flash. For an extra kick, add a pinch of crushed red pepper or cayenne.
Italian Pesto Chicken Salad
Prepared pesto is the secret ingredient in this lightened-up, healthy creamy chicken salad recipe. For the prettiest dressing, go for a bright-green colored pesto. Serve the salad open-face on toasted bread or scoop it on top of fresh salad greens.
Pasta, Tuna & Roasted Pepper Salad
The secret to this delicious pasta salad is a creamy low-fat dressing made with bottled roasted red peppers. If you have cooked chicken on hand, you can substitute it for the tuna.
Tuscan-Style Tuna Salad
This streamlined version of a northern Italian idea is perfect for a summer evening: no-fuss, no-cook and big taste. You can even make it ahead and store it, covered, in the refrigerator for several days. If you do, use it as a wrap filling for the next day's lunch.
Antipasti Pasta Salad
This Italian pasta salad recipe has all the flavors of antipasto--salami, Provolone and pepperoncini-- tossed together with a tangy vinaigrette and whole-wheat pasta. This healthy antipasti pasta salad is perfect for a light dinner. For the best flavor, combine the pasta salad with the dressing about 1 hour before serving.
Salmon Panzanella
This traditional Italian bread salad is full of tomatoes and cucumber and gets a protein boost with the addition of grilled salmon.
Italian Marinated Vegetable Salad
This marinated vegetable salad recipe is a colorful composed salad inspired by the classic Italian giardiniera. Serve on a platter as is or on a bed of crisp greens. For a heartier appetizer or light lunch, add 1/2 cup each diced salami and hard cheese, such as Provolone or even white Cheddar, to the mix.
Anchovy & Cherry Tomato Salad
This anchovy and tomato salad recipe has very few ingredients but absolutely sings with flavor when it's made with cherry tomatoes picked at their ripest. For the prettiest salad, use a combination of orange, yellow and red tomatoes.
Sicilian Pepper Salad
The defining taste of this pepper salad side dish recipe is the bold addition of vinegar and sugar that give it the pop of sweet and sour that's so common in Sicilian cooking. Serve with grilled or roasted chicken and a mixed green salad.
Caprese Salad
Summer-ripe tomatoes and fresh mozzarella need only a sprinkling of fresh herbs, salt and pepper to shine in this simple summer salad.
