Spaghetti Salad

This delicious and refreshing Spaghetti Salad is loaded with summery vegetables like juicy cherry tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, and bell peppers and finished with a zesty Italian dressing.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: spaghetti pasta salad, spaghetti salad, spaghetti salad recipe

Servings:

Author: Katerina | Easy Weeknight Recipes

Ingredients

For homemade Italian dressing:

⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon honey
3 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese finely grated
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the salad:

½ pound spaghetti
10 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes quartered
1 English cucumber chopped
1 green bell pepper chopped
1 red bell pepper chopped
½ red onion chopped
1 cup pitted black olives sliced
1 teaspoon seasoned salt to taste
⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan for garnishing
fresh basil for garnishing

Instructions

Make the Homemade Dressing:

In a large jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine all the dressing ingredients: extra-virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, honey, minced garlic, finely grated Parmesan cheese, dry thyme, dry basil, dry oregano, kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper.
Shake the jar vigorously until the ingredients are well combined. Set the jar aside or refrigerate until ready to use.

Prepare the Spaghetti:

Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water, following the package instructions until it reaches an al dente texture, about 10 minutes. Drain the spaghetti and rinse it under cold water to stop cooking.
Transfer the drained spaghetti to a large container with a lid.
Pour half of the homemade Italian dressing over the spaghetti.
Toss the spaghetti thoroughly to ensure it is evenly coated with the dressing.
Cover the container and refrigerate until the vegetables are ready to assemble the salad. This step can be done up to 2 days in advance.

Assemble the Salad:

Add the chopped cherry or grape tomatoes, cucumber, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, red onion, and sliced black olives to the container with the dressed spaghetti.
Pour the remaining dressing over the salad ingredients.
Sprinkle the seasoned salt, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and freshly ground black pepper.

Combine and Serve:

Toss the salad thoroughly to ensure all the ingredients are well mixed and evenly coated with the dressing.
Garnish with extra Parmesan cheese and fresh basil, if desired.
Serve the salad immediately or refrigerate it until needed for a cool, refreshing dish.

Notes

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The salad should stay fresh for up to 3 days. If it dries out a bit, just add a drizzle of olive oil and a splash of vinegar to refresh it.

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