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 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.
Ingredient Notes with Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients on the recipe card below.
- Vinegar: White wine, apple cider, or lemon juice will also work.
- Garlic: If you don’t have fresh garlic, you can use about a tablespoon of jarred garlic.
- Pasta: You can substitute whole wheat or grain pasta.
- Bell Peppers: You can use any colored bell peppers. They all lend different flavors and sweetness, but they all work in this pasta salad.
- Salami: You can substitute for pepperoni, deli ham, deli turkey, or capicola.
- Parmesan: Use fresh Parmesan cheese.
How to Make Spaghetti Salad
This is a summary version; for the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please refer to the recipe card below.
Combine all the ingredients for the Italian dressing. Cook the spaghetti al dente. Toss together the spaghetti, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, black olives, onions, pepperoncini, hard salami, and Parmesan Cheese. Drizzle in the Italian dressing and toss to coat.
Cook’s Tips
- 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 before 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. As I always say, don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.
- For a vegetarian version of this Spaghetti Salad, omit the hard salami.
More Pasta Salad Recipes
Spaghetti Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Italian Dressing
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1½ teaspoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- ⅓ 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
- ½ green bell pepper, chopped
- ½ red bell pepper or yellow bell pepper, chopped
- ¼ cup sliced black olives
- ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
- ¼ cup sliced pepperoncini
- ⅓ cup chopped hard salami
- 2 tablespoons grated Fresh Parmesan
Instructions
- In a 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.
- Chop all the vegetables into fairly small pieces, slice the black olives, and chop the salami.
- 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.
Nutrition
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https://www.smalltownwoman.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Beth-1.pdf
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!