By Becky Hardin
Updated Feb 27, 2025
My Italian Dressing recipe is a perfect combination of sweet, tangy, and savory flavors. This recipe blends well with pasta salads as well as a marinade. Just 5 minutes and you can have a great Olive Garden-style Italian dressing at home. A great way to add flavor to any salad!
5-Star Review
“Oh this totally brings a salad to the next level! Also delicious on pasta salad.” -Katie
The Best Italian Dressing
Olive Garden is one of my favorite restaurants. Their breadsticks and salad are so good! I wanted to make the dressing myself at home and have perfected it with this recipe.
Preparing homemade dressings are fresh and so much better than store bought! Italian dressing is mix of mayo, Dijon mustard, vinegar, olive oil, and Italian seasoning. You’ll love how a few pantry staples came together to create a delicious dressing that you can’t get enough of!
I’ve also made Olive Garden’s famous Chicken Gnocchi Soup and their Zuppa Toscana !
Ingredients1x2x3x
- ▢ 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
- ▢ 1½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ▢ ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ▢ 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ▢ ¾ teaspoon granulated sugar
- ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ▢ 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ▢ ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Whisk together vinegar, mustard, oregano, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, sugar, salt and black pepper in a medium bowl. 1/3 cup red wine vinegar, 1½ teaspoon Dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, ¾ teaspoon granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Continue whisking and drizzle in the olive oil. Whisk until combined and smooth. ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Place leftovers in an airtight jar and refrigerate. Shake or whisk before each use.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Store
This Italian salad dressing recipe makes enough for 8 servings and can easily be doubled. Keep it in an airtight jar for up to two weeks. It will separate, so be sure to shake or whisk before each use.
Serving Suggestions
You can add this Italian dressing to any vegetable or pasta salad to make them flavorful like my Tri Color Pasta Salad . Another way to use this dressing to marinate the chicken like I did in my Baked Italian Chicken .
More dressing recipes to try
Sweet and Sour Dressing Recipe for Salads
Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe
Poppy Seed Dressing Recipe
Homemade Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce or Dressing
Maple Pumpkin Autumn Salad Dressing Recipe
Spicy Sweet Salad Dressing Recipe (Vinaigrette)
Caesar Salad with Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing
Spinach Salad Recipe with Bacon (Spinach Salad Dressing)
Homemade Italian Dressing - Olive Garden Copycat
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
- 1½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ¾ teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Whisk together vinegar, mustard, oregano, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, sugar, salt and black pepper in a medium bowl. 1/3 cup red wine vinegar, 1½ teaspoon Dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, ¾ teaspoon granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Continue whisking and drizzle in the olive oil. Whisk until combined and smooth. ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Place leftovers in an airtight jar and refrigerate. Shake or whisk before each use.
Nutrition
By Becky Hardin
Published Jul 12, 2017
This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.
Essential Grocery List
It’s so helpful to have a basic grocery list to help me remember which foods to buy at the store. This food shopping list is my go-to!
It’s better to stock up on things like grains, seasonings and spices, baking essentials, oils, condiments, canned and frozen foods, etc. so I can just grab them when I need them. These things have a long shelf life , so I keep them in my kitchen for convenience.
However, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes, and there’s a way to make that trip easy and hassle-free: I keep a grocery list! If I go in blindly, I’ll leave with things I don’t need, and nothing that actually helps me prepare a good meal.
In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.
I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List
What to Buy at the Grocery Store
This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.
When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.
So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Fresh Produce
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Avocados
- Bell Peppers
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Lemons/Limes
- Onion
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
GRAINS
- Breadcrumbs
- Pasta
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Sandwich Bread
- Tortillas
MEAT/PROTEIN
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Ground Beef
- Sliced Turkey
- Lunch Meat
DAIRY
- Butter
- Sliced Cheese
- Shredded Cheese
- Milk
- Sour Cream
- Greek Yogurt
BAKING GOODS
- Baking powder
- Baking Soda
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Honey
- Vanilla Extract
- Dry Yeast
- Chocolate Chips
- Cocoa Powder
- Powdered Sugar
FREEZER
- Fruit and Berries
- Frozen Veggies (Corn, Peas, Broccoli, etc)
- Juice Concentrate
- Pizza or Other Convenience Meals
- Pie Crust
- Cookie Dough
CANNED/DRIED GOODS
- Chicken stock/broth
- Salsa
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jam/Jelly
- Peanut Butter
- Pasta Sauce
- Beans (Black Beans, Chickpeas, Baked Beans, etc)
- Soups
- Tuna
- Green Chiles
- Canned Veggies
- Coffee or Tea
Get more details on the best non-perishable and pantry foods
CONDIMENTS/SPICES
- Black Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Cinnamon
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Salt (Course Sea Salt and Kosher Salt)
- Soy Sauce
- Steak Sauce
- Hot Sauce/ Buffalo Sauce
- Salad Dressings
OILS/VINEGARS
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Vegetable/Canola Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- Cooking Wine
- White Wine Vinegar
SNACKS
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Quick Oats
- Popcorn
- Tortilla Chips
- Cereal
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Click ☝🏻 for my FREE Grocery List Printable!
I hope this essential grocery list can help you buy what you need and make your home cooking so much easier!
Stock Your Kitchen
Find more ideas for your grocery list, stock up your kitchen, and print more cooking guides and charts to keep handy!
Non-Perishable Foods to Stock Up On
Frozen Vegetables to Stock Up On (and Recipes to Make)
Ultimate List of Cooking Herbs for Your Kitchen
Ultimate List of Cooking Spices for Your Kitchen
Cooking Oil 101: Types of Cooking Oils to Use
26 Types of Pasta and When to Use Them
What Fruits and Vegetables are in Season?
Meat Temperature Chart (Free Printable)
How to Meal Prep (Guide for Beginners)
Basic Cooking Measurements & Kitchen Conversion Chart
