Homemade Italian Vinaigrette is so easy and so delicious you’ll never want to buy bottled dressing again!  This simple vinaigrette comes together in moments and is the perfect accompaniment to green salads, pasta salads, and veggies.

Spoon drizzling Italian vinaigrette over mason jar.


Salads are something we eat frequently in our home, usually following a main course.

This homemade Italian vinaigrette is our go-to when we want something easy with the ingredients we have on hand.

Our Italian dressing combines olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, parsley, garlic, oregano, and cheese and comes together in no time.

And it even doubles as a marinade for chicken or pork!

Ingredients shown: Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, Pecorino, oregano, hot red pepper flakes, extra virgin olive oil, parsley, and garlic.

How to make it

  1. To the bowl of a food processor or blender add 3/4 cup red wine vinegar, 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese, 1 teaspoon of dried oregano, 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes, 5 cloves of garlic, 1/4 cup of flat-leaf parsley, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard.  Pulse a few times to combine.
Steps showing making Italian vinaigrette in food processor.
  1. Add 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil and blend until emulsified and smooth.  Taste test the vinaigrette and add salt and pepper as needed.  Serve with your favorite salad and enjoy!

Top tips

  • Blending. While we recommend using a blender or food processor for our Italian vinaigrette, you can definitely make this by whisking the ingredients together in a bowl or shaking in a mason jar.  If not using a blender or food processor, chop the parsley very finely and grate the garlic.  You can also mince the garlic and use the side of your knife to create a paste or break out the garlic press.
  • Cheese.  We use Pecorino Romano for our vinaigrette, but you can also use parmesan.  Note that Pecorino is saltier than Parm so you will need to adjust salt accordingly.
  • Taste test. Be sure to taste your Italian dressing and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.  Keep in mind that if you’re using this to dress a green salad, you will likely need to add more salt to the salad after you’ve dressed it.  It’s always best to sprinkle a bit of salt onto the dressed salad since the salt will stick and adhere better.
  • Serving. One of our favorite ways to use this vinaigrette is with chopped romaine and thinly sliced onions.  It’s a simple salad, but the flavor of the vinaigrette takes it over the top! It’s also a great marinade for grilled chicken or pork!
Spoon drizzling Italian vinaigrette onto a plate of salad.

More awesome dressings

Here are a few more of our favorite homemade vinaigrettes and dressings. I hope you love them!

If you’ve enjoyed this Homemade Italian Vinaigrette Recipe or any recipe on this site, give it a 5-star rating and tell us about it in the comments below.

We strive to satisfy a number of learning styles.  If you are someone who prefers to learn by watching, you can find most of our recipes on YouTube and our Facebook Page.

Italian Vinaigrette

5 from 17 votes
Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 10 minutes
Servings: 16 servings
Homemade Italian vinaigrette is so easy to make and is perfect on green salads and pasta salads, and can double as a tasty marinade for chicken or pork.

Ingredients 

  • 3/4 cup (180g) red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup (45g) grated Pecorino Romano cheese
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon hot crushed red pepper flakes
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 cup Italian flat-leaf parsley
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 cup (240g) extra virgin olive oil

Instructions 

  • Add all of the ingredients except the extra virgin olive oil to a blender or food processor and pulse to combine.
  • Add the extra virgin olive oil and blend until smooth and emulsified. Taste the vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Notes

  • One serving of dressing equals 2 tablespoons.  This recipe makes about 2 cups of dressing or 16 servings.
  • This vinaigrette can be made by hand whisking, in the blender, or by adding the ingredients to a mason jar with the cap on and shaking vigorously.
  • Dressing can be saved in the fridge for up to 7 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 121kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.7g | Protein: 0.9g | Fat: 13.2g | Saturated Fat: 2.2g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 28mg | Potassium: 22mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.1g | Calcium: 29mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this? Leave a comment below!Check us out on Instagram at @sipandfeast or tag #sipandfeast!
5 from 17 votes (8 ratings without comment)

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

26 Comments

  1. Cathy mallon says:

    Delish! Made grilled shrimp tonight and a green salad. This dressing was as good on salad as the shrimp. We are happy happy.

    1. Tara says:

      We’re so happy you enjoyed, Cathy!

  2. Tom Wing says:

    5 stars
    I love this dressing. It’s tempting to sip it! So much flavor… I had to sub Parmesan and dried parsley but still so good. Every Sip and Feast recipe I have tried is amazing. Keep them coming!
    Your friend in Arkansas

  3. Bonnie O'Reilly says:

    5 stars
    I really enjoy your recipes and your presentaion

  4. Søren Padkjær says:

    Thank you for your delicious receipts. However it would be a great help if the measurements were in wight (gram), as I have cups in many different sizes – and which one to choose, then?

    1. Tara says:

      Hi Soren, cups are the standard unit of measurement for volume used in the US and measuring cups are sold specifically for this purpose. When we say “1 cup”, we are using an actual measuring cup to do this, not just a random cup. So 1 measured cup of oil would equal roughly 216 grams. Many of our recipes do include measurements in weight (grams) for baking, and bread making. At some point we hope to have a conversion calculator so folks outside of the US can convert our recipes to grams but we don’t have it yet.

  5. Eleanor Hohman says:

    Thank you for your recipes.

  6. Grace Stancati says:

    5 stars
    Not that this is an Italian dish but …
    I wanted to share that my 4 grandparents came to the United States from Calabria. The reason I started following you was because a LOT of your recipes are like their style and ingredients. Because of them, I’m so glad I learned to cook at young age some 60 years ago! I enjoy watching you cook, and I appreciate the fact that you make things so easy as far as visually. Buon appétito

  7. Cynthia Wiley says:

    5 stars
    Love this! Love all your recipes. Thank you for sharing.
    You and Tara are the best.

    1. Irene Kuszel says:

      Love your recipes! Made your lentil soup tonight! It was fabulous!!
      Thank.you.

  8. Iris Noya says:

    5 stars
    Wonderful recipe. Can I keep this on kitchen counter top and for how long.

    1. Tara says:

      Hi Iris, please refer to the recipe notes section which says this can be saved in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Glad you enjoyed the recipe!

  9. Carol Darling says:

    5 stars
    Delicious dressing & goes well on Antipasto or big green salad.

  10. Mary Ann Salvato says:

    I absolutely love everything you make

  11. Cindy says:

    5 stars
    Excellent!!

  12. Marlene Barnett says:

    Love your recipes & the way in which you present your videos! Very informative & practical. Also love th flexibility you suggest in you recipe prep.
    You’re a home run in my book!!
    Cooking is like art…creating delicious‼️🥰

  13. Robert Hyland says:

    LOVE ALL YOUR RECIPES AND YOUR STYLE OF COOKING

  14. Elaine De Felix says:

    5 stars
    Love the added cheese…

    1. Tara says:

      Hi Elaine, thanks for the comment and so happy you enjoyed!

  15. Jo says:

    Any way some of this could be frozen?

    1. Tara says:

      Hi Jo, we wouldn’t recommend freezing the dressing.

      1. Randall Erickson says:

        Will the garlic cloves get chopped up in the blender, or do I chop them up first?

        1. Tara says:

          Hi Randall, the garlic will get chopped in the blender so no need to chop them first. Hope you enjoy!

  16. Marcella J Medor says:

    5 stars
    How does that go…Botta Boom, Botta Bing!

  17. Sean says:

    If i wanted to make creamy version of this, just add mayo? Heavy cream?

    1. Jim says:

      Hi Sean, I haven’t tested this with mayo, however, I know mayo is often used in caesar dressing so I think it could work here. I’d start out with a small amount and gradually increase until you reach the desired taste/texture.