My creamy Italian dressing is OK, but could be better....

[quichelorraine]

Anybody have a great creamy Italian dressing recipe? I know "creamy" dressings add fat and calories to salads, but unless the dressing is really tasty, I tend to skip the salad. I find vinaigrettes just are too sour or bitter, and sting my teeth. A yummy dressing would really help me and DH to eat more salads and get those greens into our diet! Thank you!

If you're curious about what I'm making now, (so you can help me make it better,) here's the recipe I'm working with:

1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or lemon juice
2 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, minced

it seems there's something missing! There's a great pizza place near me that has an amazing creamy Italian dressing, and they just laugh when I ask for the recipe! Keeps me coming back for more and paying $7.50 for salad!!

[Beach Chick]

I would punch it up with more:

garlic..at least 3-5 cloves
EVO vs veg oil
shallots
fresh parsley
fresh squeezed lemon juice..2+
splash of buttermilk
fresh ground pepper/sea salt

[escondido123]

And maybe an anchovy or two, restaurants will often not admit to anchovies!

[Beach Chick]

Anchovies...the star of the show!

[MrsCris]

I too like buttermilk in mine. I don't have exact measurements, but I blend up mayo, buttermilk, fresh basil, fresh parsley, oregano, shallot, salt and pepper, and a squeeze of lemon and a dash of worcesstershire in my mini chopper. You could add some sugar if you wish.

[magiesmom]

I prefer buttermilk dressings like this one
http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/07/nap...

[todao]

Start with a good pesto. Blend that with enough mayonnaise (Best Foods/Hellmans) and light cream or milk (50/50 mix) to create the consistency you're looking for. Let it age in the fridge for at least 24 hours.
In your recipe, what does the 2 Tbsp of water do? And that looks like a lot of sugar, IMO.

[quichelorraine]

Wow, yeah, pesto! I was wondering about incorporating basil. Thanks for the suggestion! And of course, using cream or milk instead of water will probably make a difference. I'm not a professional cook, just a wannabe, so thanks, I will try it and report.

[todao]

Anxious to read your report. I'm not a professional cook either; just a "wannabe" like yourself. But I do have a lot of experience (spelled "m i s t a k e s") under my belt after 50+ years in the kitchen and if I can help anyone with a culinary issue I'm gratified.

[The Professor]

The pesto-mayo idea looks _really_good but lacks an acid component to liven it up a bit. Maybe a bit of vinegar? Lemon? Buttermilk?
I think it needs a touch more than the mild acidity the mayo provides.