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.
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!
How to make it
- 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.
- 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!
More awesome dressings
Here are a few more of our favorite homemade vinaigrettes and dressings. I hope you love them!
- Balsamic vinaigrette – thick and creamy with Dijon and shallots.
- French vinaigrette – with fresh herbs, shallots, and champagne vinegar.
- Blue cheese dressing – perfect for salads, wings, and crudite.
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
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese grated
- 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 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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Wonderful recipe. Can I keep this on kitchen counter top and for how long.
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!
Delicious dressing & goes well on Antipasto or big green salad.
I absolutely love everything you make
Excellent!!
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‼️🥰
LOVE ALL YOUR RECIPES AND YOUR STYLE OF COOKING
Love the added cheese…
Hi Elaine, thanks for the comment and so happy you enjoyed!
Any way some of this could be frozen?
Hi Jo, we wouldn’t recommend freezing the dressing.
Will the garlic cloves get chopped up in the blender, or do I chop them up first?
Hi Randall, the garlic will get chopped in the blender so no need to chop them first. Hope you enjoy!
How does that go…Botta Boom, Botta Bing!
If i wanted to make creamy version of this, just add mayo? Heavy cream?
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.