Creamy Pasta Salad with Smoked Mozzarella and Parmesan Cream (2024)

Most pasta salads conjure up images of elbow macaroni salad covered in a traditional thick overly mayonnais-ed sauce. Believe me, I love these types of pasta salads, but if you’re like me, you’re always looking for something a bit more exciting.

A homemade pasta salad that’s new and interesting to bring to the next potluck or serve at your next back yard bbq. A make-ahead pasta salad that’s served cold.

Something that travels well. Something that will spark a conversation.

After all, pasta is delicious and a pasta salad can be outstanding.

This Whole Foods Smoked Mozzarella Pasta Salad, completely reinvents the classic in a way that will have pot-luckers clamoring for seconds and asking for the recipe.

So What’s Different About This Smoked Mozzarella Pasta Salad?

• To start with…Perfect little cubes of smoked mozzarella. This is where you get to practice your knife skills. Cut each little cube of cheese as close to the same size as you can. And make them small cubes. You don’t want to those cubes of cheese to overwhelm, but blend in with the other ingredients in each and every bite.
• Penne pasta. Penne pasta is great for a pasta salad. Not only does the tube shape soak up the sauce, it’s sturdy enough to stand up to the thickest and creamiest dressing.
• The Parmesan Dressing: A beautiful combination of grated Parmesan cheese, mayo and white wine vinegar.
• A pasta salad with Spinach and chopped roasted red bell pepper brings color and excitement to finish the salad.

• Fresh Spinach
• Grated Parmesan Cheese: You’ll need Parmesan for both the parmesan sauce and the pasta salad.
• Roasted Red Bell Pepper: Purchase jarred roasted pepper or make things super easy and pick up a roasted red bell pepper from the olive bar.
• Penne Pasta
• Mayonnaise
• Smoked Mozzarella Cheese: Buy a good quality smoked mozzarella, like Belgioioso Smoked Mozzarella. With a light brown color on the outside and milky texture and flavor inside. The hickory smoked flavor of this cheese is delicious and not too overwhelming.
• White Vinegar: Vinegar is an acid which will brighten and flavors and add a tang to the dressing.
• Parsley
• Garlic
• Spices: Chile Powder, Salt and Pepper

Ingredient Swaps and Substitutions

• Pasta: Use any sturdy pasta shape for this recipe A good substitute would be cavatappi, fusilli, rotini or elbow macaroni.
• Vinegar: White wine vinegar, champagne vinegar or even apple cider vinegar will work in this recipe. Just avoid a red vinegar as it will add color.
• Chile Powder: I use a New Mexico red chile powder for most recipes in my kitchen. If you don’t have access to New Mexico powder, use ancho chile powder or cayenne.
• Smoked Mozzarella Cheese: Smoked Mozzarella can be hard to find. A good substitute is smoked gouda.
• Roasted Red Bell Pepper: If you simply can’t find roasted red bell pepper, slow roast cherry tomatoes, like I did for this Pasta with Slow Roasted Tomatoes.

1. Step 1: Make The Dressing: Add the ingredients to make the pasta dressing to a blender or food processor. Those ingredients are Parmesan cheese, parsley, mayo, vinegar, garlic and red chile powder, salt and pepper.

2. Step 2: Blend until smooth. Process the mixture until you have a creamy consistency and everything is well blended. You can also use a food processor for this. And by the way, this makes a great salad dressing.

3. Step 3: Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain the pasta reserving 1/2 cup of the cooked pasta water. Run cold water over the draining pasta to cool it down. You want the pasta cool enough so that when you add the smoked mozzarella, it won’t melt the cheese.

4. Step 4: Combine Veggies and Pasta: Place the cooked penne pasta into a large mixing bowl. Add the spinach and roasted red bell pepper.

5. Step 5: Mix Ingredients: Add the smoked mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

6. Step 6: Add The Sauce: Pour the sauce over the bowl of pasta and the vegetables.

7. Step 7: Gently Mix. Using a large spoon, gently turn the ingredients so the sauce will coat the pasta and the vegetables.

How Can I Keep The Cheese From Melting Into Hot Pasta?

Make sure the pasta has cooled to room temperature before adding the smoked mozzarella. If the pasta is too warm, the cheese will melt. You want an end result with perfect little solid cubes of goodness.

What Kind Of Parmesan Should I Use?

Good Question! Use a wedge of good quality Parmesan Cheese. Not a container of pre-shredded Parmesan. The quality of flavor will be noticeably superior.

Why Save The Cooked Pasta Water?

Don’t toss out all of that pasta water. It’s liquid gold. It’s a must to add to any sauce for any pasta dish. It’s high in starch and this salty starchy water helps the sauce cling to the pasta and it helps thicken the sauce. It turns any pasta dish into a luxurious pasta dish. With that said, once you’re done mixing this salad together, if it seems a little stiff or dry, just add 1/4 cup (at a time) of the pasta water to make it even creamier.

Can Whole Foods Pasta Salad Be Made In Advance?

Yes. Once the salad is mixed together, seal the top of the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve. The salad can be made a day in advance.

Do I Need To Cook The Spinach Before Adding To The Salad?

No, spinach is a very delicate vegetable and the heat from the pasta will be enough to wilt and soften it.

Tips For Success

• Make this recipe easy by purchasing a jar of roasted red red bell pepper. Or better yet, if your grocery store has an olive bar, you can usually find a pan of roasted red bell peppers there.

If you liked this recipe, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I always appreciate your feedback and hearing how everything went.

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