Spaghetti Salad

This Spaghetti Salad makes a delicious, quick, and easy light summer meal or side for all your grilling and bbq recipes. It is full of wholesome fresh veggies and drizzled with a tasty homemade Italian dressing.  The end result is pure bliss and a gorgeous salad for chicken, steak, or fish. 

Summer is in full force and with it comes lots and lots of fabulous pasta salads.  They are ideal for lunch, a light supper, or side dishes for grilled chicken, seafood, hamburgers, or kabobs. Prepare to have your taste buds wowed.

How do you make Spaghetti Salad?

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook your spaghetti al dente according to the package Instructions. While the pasta is cooking grab a bowl and combine all the ingredients for the Italian dressing.  Now chop all the vegetables into fairly small pieces, slice the black olives and chop the salami.

Once the spaghetti is cooked, drain and rinse it with cold water.   Now add the cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, black olives, onions, pepperoncini, hard salami and Parmesan Cheese.  Finally drizzle in the Italian dressing and toss to coat.

Recipe notes and helpful tips

• Cook the spaghetti al dente and drain well.
• The Italian Salad Dressing can be made up to 5 days in advance.  Store covered in the fridge.  However remove from the refrigerator about 45 minutes prior to making the spaghetti pasta salad.
• Chop your vegetables fairly fine so they complement the spaghetti.
• You can use any colored bell peppers.  They all lend different flavors and sweetness but they all work in this pasta salad.
• If you don’t like an ingredient substitute something else or omit it.  For instance if you don’t like black olives try capers.  If you don’t like red onion try scallions.  If you don’t like salami try mini pepperoni. As I always say don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.
• For a vegetarian version of this Spaghetti Salad, simply omit the hard salami.

More easy pasta salad recipes you will love!

Spaghetti Salad Recipe

This easy spaghetti pasta salad is made with fresh garden veggies and homemade dressing.  It is perfect for  potlucks, family reunions, pool parties and neighborhood shindigs.

5 from 16 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Salad, side

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 416kcal

Author: Beth Pierce

Ingredients

Italian Dressing

• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
• 1/3 cup olive oil

Spaghetti Salad

• 12 ounces spaghetti noodles broken in half
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped English cucumber
• 1 cup grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes sliced in half
• 1/2 green bell pepper chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper or yellow bell pepper chopped
• 1/4 cup sliced black olives
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 1/4 cup sliced pepperoncini
• 1/3 cup chopped hard salami
• 2 tablespoons grated Fresh Parmesan

Instructions

• In small bowl whisk together red wine vinegar, garlic, sugar, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in olive oil.
• Cook spaghetti al dente according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
• In a large bowl toss the  cooked spaghetti with the cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, black olives, onions, pepperoncini, hard salami, and Parmesan Cheese.  Pour the Italian dressing over the top and toss to coat.

Notes

• Cook the spaghetti al dente and drain well.
• The Italian Salad Dressing can be made up to 5 days in advance.  Store covered in the fridge.  However remove from the refrigerator about 45 minutes prior to making the spaghetti pasta salad.
• Chop your vegetables fairly fine so they complement the spaghetti.
• You can use any colored bell peppers.  They all lend different flavors and sweetness but they all work in this pasta salad.
• If you don't like an ingredient substitute something else or omit it.  For instance if you don't like black olives try capers.  If you don't like red onion try scallions.  If you don't like salami try mini pepperoni. As I always say don't throw the baby out with the bath water.
• For a vegetarian version of this Spaghetti Salad, simply omit the hard salami.

Nutrition

Calories: 416kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 532mg | Potassium: 348mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 457IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 1mg

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