Shake up your summer salad routine with this versatile Spaghetti Salad recipe. Unlike traditional pasta salads, this salad uses fun strands of spaghetti, allowing you to get creative with your ingredients.
Refreshing and simple, this Spaghetti Salad is a breeze to prepare, making it a perfect addition to your dinner rotation. With plenty of versatility, it’s ideal for any occasion, and can be tailored to suit the ingredients you have on hand, or the meal’s theme. This flexibility gives you the confidence to create a dish that meets your needs.
I don’t have much time to fuss over dishes I take to BBQs and get-togethers. Salads like this are so easy to make that I almost feel guilty for spending so little time on them. However, when everyone starts raving about how good they are, I just smile and say thank you.
Spaghetti Salad – A Meal for Any Diet
One of the reasons I love this spaghetti salad recipe is its adaptability. It’s easy to adjust to any diet, whether you’re catering for people on gluten-free, paleo, or keto diets. There are spaghetti options to meet their needs, and you can replace the Parmesan cheese with nutritional yeast, a similar-looking product that has a wonderful umami-like Parmesan flavor. This adaptability puts you in control, allowing you to create a dish that everyone can enjoy.
Vegetable substitutions are easy, making this the perfect potluck salad for any occasion. If you do not have cucumbers at home but have zucchini, that’s perfect. You can also choose any bottled Italian dressing or make it from scratch. There are no rules when it comes to spaghetti salad, so don’t be afraid to experiment and have fun with your meal – after all, you can let your creativity shine through.
Remember to Break the Spaghetti in Half
I’ll never forget the time I forgot to break the spaghetti in half before putting it into the salted boiling water. There was no way I was going to spend time trying to cut all those long strands when I made this spaghetti salad recipe, so I figured I would leave them that way this time.
Have you ever watched young children eating spaghetti? The only good thing was that this salad did not have red pasta sauce. Long strands of spaghetti were everywhere, and watching them try to slurp them in was hilarious. So remember, break the spaghetti in half before cooking.
How to Make Ahead and Store
As with pasta salad, this recipe can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I suggest mixing it once or twice daily to keep it well mixed and prevent the spaghetti from drying out. You can also add more dressing, as desired, before serving.
Serving Suggestions
I love to serve this spaghetti salad recipe alongside Turkey Sloppy Joes. The turkey makes the sandwich lighter than traditional beef sloppy joes, so it’s a perfect summertime combination. Since the salad already has plenty of veggies, you do not need to worry about making a vegetable side dish unless you want to.
A cool and refreshing summertime dessert perfect after this spaghetti salad is Banana Dragon Fruit Nice Cream. Get ready for an exciting taste sensation bursting with flavor. Add some Brown Sugar Cookies on the side, and watch your family go wild for this unusual but scrumptious combination.
Spaghetti Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti broken into halves
- 1 medium cucumber diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper diced
- 1 medium green bell pepper diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/2 cup red onion finely chopped
- 1/2 cup black olives sliced
- 1 cup Italian dressing or a mix of 3 parts olive oil to 1 part balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled spaghetti, cucumber, red and green bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and black olives.
- Pour the Italian dressing over the spaghetti and vegetables. Add the grated Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning. Toss until all ingredients are well coated.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow flavors to meld.
- Before serving, give the salad a good mix to redistribute the dressing and flavors. Serve chilled.
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