This creamy Italian dressing with parmesan is easy to make at home, and goes deliciously on salads – both green salads and pasta salads! It’s made with wholesome ingredients, is packed with classic Italian herb flavor, and doesn’t have any mayonnaise or sour cream. All you need is a blender to make it creamy!
It’s similar to your favorite store-bought Italian dressing, but without all the artificial ingredients and fillers. Plus, it’s got parsley and parmesan to bring out even more of that zesty Italian flavor.
This is my favorite dressing to use on my super yummy Zesty Italian Pasta Salad recipe. I highly recommend trying it – so good!
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Homemade Italian Dressing with Parmesan
Homemade salad dressing always tastes fresher to me over the bottled kind. While there are definitely some yummy store-bought salad dressing options on the market nowadays (way more so than there used to be), I still almost always make my own salad dressing.
It’s so easy once you get the hang of it, and it tastes so much more flavorful! What makes this particular dressing special is that it’s extra creamy from blending the parmesan cheese with the other ingredients.
My standard go-to is my Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette – have you tried that yet? I’ve made it with apple cider vinegar and red wine vinegar, too. You can easily swap in and out different vinegars to mix it up!
Be sure to try my Creamy Vegan Salad Dressing, too. It uses cauliflower to make it creamy (rather than cheese)!
I also have a Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing recipe – it features tofu and nutritional yeast and tastes just like the real thing. For Mexican-inspired salads/dishes, this avocado crema is so delicious.
Anyway, back to this recipe for Italian dressing!
This homemade creamy salad dressing is classic enough to have that nostalgic Italian dressing flavor, but with a slight twist, and it’s so easy to make. Just toss everything into a blender and mix! And you probably already have most (if not all) of the ingredients at home already.
What You’ll Need
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this homemade Italian dressing:
- white wine vinegar (I love using white wine vinegar in salad dressings, because it adds a punch of flavor while not overpowering the other flavors.)
- garlic
- honey (This adds a hint of sweetness to balance out the dressing.)
- Italian seasoning (Any seasoning mix will do, or you can make your own with a combination of dried oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, and sage!)
- grated parmesan cheese (This gets blended with the other ingredients to create that creamy texture.)
- olive oil
- fresh parsley
- salt & pepper (to taste)
You might also enjoy this strawberry vinaigrette dressing or this maple dijon dressing with rosemary! For another creamy dressing, try this lemon Greek yogurt dressing.
How to Make Homemade Italian Dressing
Start by combining the white wine vinegar, honey, garlic, Italian seasoning, olive oil, and parmesan in your blender.
(You can also use an immersion blender. Just combine the ingredients into a glass bowl or jar and blend that way, slowly adding the olive oil as you blend rather than adding it in all at once.)
Next, add the parsley and blend again until it’s finely chopped. Season with salt and pepper to taste. That’s it – you’re ready to rock!
(Feel free to add a little fresh-squeezed lemon juice to brighten up the flavor even more, if you have it on hand. Totally optional!)
How to Store Italian Dressing
Store this dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 weeks. The ingredients may separate over time, so be sure to shake well before use.
What makes this Italian dressing recipe healthier?
Many creamy Italian dressings call for mayonnaise to make them creamy, but there’s no mayo here! We use a simple technique to blend the parmesan cheese into the other ingredients for creaminess.
Additionally, many store-bought salad dressings are loaded with added sugar. This recipe calls for a small amount of honey to balance the flavors, and that’s it! There are no refined sugars or other added sugars in this easy homemade dressing.
Is this recipe gluten free?
Yes! All of the ingredients in this Italian salad dressing should be naturally gluten free.
Enjoy this creamy Italian dressing on your favorite garden salad, pasta salad, or even use it as a marinade! You really can’t go wrong. 🙂
(Here are some more marinade ideas: 8 Easy Marinade Recipes for Chicken or Tofu.)
You’ll find the full recipe for zesty Italian dressing at the end of this post. I hope you enjoy it! Let me know how you like it by commenting on this post, or by tagging me @fANNEtasticfood on social media when you make it.
Looking for more salad inspiration? Here are some of my favorite recipes:
- Heirloom Tomato Salad with Peaches (Caprese Salad)
- Sesame Shrimp and Watermelon Salad
- Grilled Steak and Strawberry Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette
- Green Goddess Bowl with Raw Honey Herb Vinaigrette
- Vegan Kale Caesar Salad
- Quinoa Salad with Orange Vinaigrette, Avocado & Arugula
- Spring Salad Recipes
Creamy Italian Dressing with Parmesan (No Mayo)
This creamy Italian dressing is easy to make at home, and goes deliciously on salads (including pasta salads)!
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions:
- Combine the white wine vinegar, garlic, honey, Italian seasoning, and parmesan in a glass measuring cup.*
- Using an immersion blender, blend ingredients while streaming in the olive oil.
- Add in the parsley and blend until finely chopped, then season with salt and pepper.
Notes:
You can also easily combine the ingredients in a blender and follow the same directions instead of using an immersion blender.
