If you’re serving a delicious pasta, why not serve some yummy Roasted Artichoke and Mozzarella Salad as a starter? This Italian classic is a twist on the traditional antipasto.
Roasted Artichoke and Mozzarella Salad – a twist on the classic antipasto
In Italian cuisine, an antipasto salad is traditionally served as the first course. It often contains artichokes and other vegetables. Yet the hallmark of most classic antipasto salad recipes is cured meat.
You may notice that we’ve left off the cured meat from this recipe. You may of course serve this recipe with cured meats like prosciutto or salami, but we decided to mix things up a bit to let the artichoke be the star.
So I guess you would call this an Antipasto Inspired salad recipe. And it tastes great! Serve it as your first course, and enjoy.
Why not try some of our other great salad and appetizer recipes? Some of our favorites from other cuisines are:
- Gochujang Grilled Bacon Wrapped Asparagus, if you love bacon, you’ll love these!
- Easy Cranberry Brie Bites, perfect to serve year round, but they are especially great for Thanksgiving.
- Southwestern Grilled Jalapeno Poppers – stuffed with bacon and cheese, they are to die for!
Our Roasted Artichoke Salad is even great to serve as a first course with our Sheet Pan Lemon Roasted Chicken Thighs too!
Ingredients you need to make Roasted Artichoke and Mozzarella Salad
- ¼ c. extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 14-oz. can or jar artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed
- 1 t. dried Italian seasoning, divided
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- 3 c. fresh arugula
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 medium red onion, cut in half and sliced
- 3 T. capers, drained
- 3 T. fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 T. fresh basil, thinly sliced
- 2 T. balsamic vinegar
- 1 T. fresh lemon juice
- 1 t. Dijon mustard
- 8-oz. small fresh Mozzarella balls, cut in half
- Sprigs of fresh herbs, for garnish
How to make Roasted Artichoke and Mozzarella Salad
- Preheat oven to 400°F and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper or a Silpat® baking mat.
- Pat the artichoke hearts dry and transfer to a large bowl. Add one tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning, and the minced garlic. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste. Toss to combine.
- Arrange seasoned artichokes on the prepared baking sheet in a single, uniform layer and place in the pre-heated oven to roast until tender and slightly browned around the edges, approximately 20-25 minutes.
- While the artichokes roast, combine the fresh arugula, tomatoes, red onion, capers, and fresh herbs in a large salad bowl. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the remaining olive oil with the balsamic vinegar, fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and remaining Italian seasoning. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and whisk together until emulsified. Set aside.
- Remove the artichokes from the oven and cool for several minutes before adding to the salad. Toss to combine and top with fresh Mozzarella. Garnish with fresh herbs, if using, and serve immediately with the balsamic dressing. Enjoy!
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Roasted Artichoke and Mozzarella Salad
Ingredients
- ¼ c. extra virgin olive oil divided
- 1 14- oz. can or jar artichoke hearts drained and rinsed
- 1 t. dried Italian seasoning divided
- 2-3 garlic cloves minced
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 3 c. fresh arugula
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half
- 1 medium red onion cut in half and sliced
- 3 capers drained
- 3 fresh parsley chopped
- 2 fresh basil thinly sliced
- 2 balsamic vinegar
- 1 fresh lemon juice
- 1 t. Dijon mustard
- 8- oz. small fresh Mozzarella balls cut in half
- Sprigs of fresh herbs for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper or a Silpat® baking mat.
- Pat the artichoke hearts dry and transfer to a large bowl. Add one tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning, and the minced garlic. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste. Toss to combine.
- Arrange seasoned artichokes on the prepared baking sheet in a single, uniform layer and place in the pre-heated oven to roast until tender and slightly browned around the edges, approximately 20-25 minutes.
- While the artichokes roast, combine the fresh arugula, tomatoes, red onion, capers, and fresh herbs in a large salad bowl. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the remaining olive oil with the balsamic vinegar, fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and remaining Italian seasoning. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and whisk together until emulsified. Set aside.
- Remove the artichokes from the oven and cool for several minutes before adding to the salad. Toss to combine and top with fresh Mozzarella. Garnish with fresh herbs, if using, and serve immediately with the balsamic dressing. Enjoy!
Notes
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Jennifer Quisenberry says
To serve as a traditional antipasto salad, simply add your favorite cured meat, such as salami or prosciutto. The salad is delicious with and without the cured meat.