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.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: salad, side
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: Italian
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.
Keywords: pasta salad, Italian dressing, spaghetti pasta salad, cold spaghetti salad, Italian spaghetti salad, spaghetti salad, summer pasta salad
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Wendy
The dressing is amazing! Love this recipe so much!!
★★★★★
Beth Pierce
Thanks Wendy! So glad that you like it!
Deborah Gordon
Could this be made with spaghetti squash for those trying to avoid the carbs?
Beth Pierce
Yes you can
Bintu
Spaghetti salad sounds like the perfect summer lunch or dinner and this one looks and sounds delicious!
★★★★★
Lauren
Oh my gosh! What a fun recipe. I love that it’s perfect for summer AND I know my kids will love it too!
★★★★★
Alison
Such gorgeous colors and the Italian dressing is spot on! I can just leave out the salami and parm to make it vegan friendly!
★★★★★
Emily Liao
Loved how fresh and easy this was to make! Perfect for a weeknight dinner.
★★★★★
Michelle
Such a delicious salad, perfect for summertime picnics!
★★★★★
Dale Turenne
Made this on Sunday, absolutely delicious, thanks for the recipe.
★★★★★
Beth Pierce
My pleasure Dale! So glad that you liked it!!
Jane
How long will this dressing last in the fridge? It would be good with just noodles- cooled of course.
Beth Pierce
Up to 2 weeks. I agree on the noodles.
GEORGE MEDLIN
THIS IS DEEEELISH! Will be making this again and again.
★★★★★
Beth Pierce
Thanks George! I am glad that you liked it!!
Lisalia
This is the best quick summertime meal. SO yummy. Your dressing is especially good. I like that it’s not made from a pre-seasoned packet… you know?! The flavors in this are so fresh!
★★★★★
Taryn
I really liked the dressing on this!
★★★★★
Suzy
Cold salads are perfect for summer! Love that I can cook the pasta ahead of time!
★★★★★
Lindsay Cotter
This is the perfect summer side! We’ll be making this again and again!
★★★★★
Wilhelmina
Cool salads are a summer go to in the Oklahoma heat. I love the flavors in this one, it’s perfect for lunch or dinner and is fabulous leftover!
★★★★★
Toni
Everyone at my house loved it! Perfect for weeknights!
★★★★★
Lauren k
My mom used to make something similar and it’s always been a family favorite. Great recipe!
★★★★★