The Grande Italian Salad

I made this salad with my nephew-he's a talented cook! This dressing is so tasty that I'll make it every week at the very least. It tastes so fresh, which is perfect for winter.

Ingredients

Dressing

• 1 cup Fresh Italian parsley leaves, loosely packed
• 1 cup Fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
• 1/4 tsp. dried oregano
• 2 cloves Garlic, peeled
• 1/4 cup Garden Herb White Balsamic Vinegar
• 3/4 cup Pesto (or Basil) Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Heaping 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. Ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp. Honey

Salad

• 1 large Head romaine lettuce (or 3 hearts), washed, dried and cut into large, bite-sized pieces
• 1 large Red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup Mini Cucumbers, chopped 
• 1 to 2 Carrots, peeled into ribbons
• 1 cup Grape tomatoes, halved (or not)
• 1/2 cup pitted Olives
• Ricotta Salata (or Pecorino Romano)

Directions

1. Make the dressing--Combine all dressing ingredients in a food processor (or blender) and blend.
2. Place all of the salad ingredients except for the cheese in a large bowl.
3. Right before serving, add about half of the dressing and toss well. Add more dressing little by little as necessary; be sure to dress greens very generously, otherwise salad will be bland. Toss in the cheese, then taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary.

Recipe modified from the blog "Once Upon A Chef"