Mayonnaise Vinaigrette

This is a great little sauce that combines two of California’s “foundational” sauces: mayo and vinaigrette. This sauce makes a great salad dressing–think of it as a lighter, more flavorful version of a ranch dressing. But it really shines as a simple and super-tasty dressing for a pasta salad! Fusilli or bowtie pasta work well, but any short pasta would work in a pinch. Add some fresh vegetables and you’ve got yourself a quick one-and-done set of sides for dinner!

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Mayonnaise Vinaigrette

Author: keriawilliams

Ingredients

Servings

• ¹⁄₂ cup very good quality olive oil
• ¹⁄₄ cup cider vinegar
• ¹⁄₂ tsp course Kosher salt (if using this dressing for a pasta salad, increase the salt--the pasta will soak it up)
• 6-8 whole peppercorns
• 3 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tsp Dijon or stone ground mustard (pretty much any mustard except for plain yellow mustard is a fine choice for this vinaigrette)
• 1 tbsp minced shallots
• ¹⁄₄ cup finely chopped fresh herbs (I used fresh sweet basil and fresh flat-leaf parsley)

Instructions

1. Add salt and peppercorns to a mortar and pestle. Using the pestle, crunch up the peppercorns and then grind the salt and pepper together until they are finely ground. Put aside.

1. Using a sharp knife, finely mince the fresh herbs.

   

1. In a small bowl, add olive oil, vinegar, mayonnaise, mustard, minced shallot, herbs, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Use as a dressing for either a green or pasta salad.

   

Note

If using on a pasta salad, increase the salt--the pasta will soak up the seasonings.