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This spaghetti salad recipe is packed with fresh summer veggies, olives, and feta cheese, making it the perfect addition to all your summer picnics, potlucks, and BBQs! This cold pasta salad is full of flavors and textures, and it’s a great dish to feed a crowd.
Bringing this cold spaghetti salad to gatherings and cookouts is one of my favorite things to do because it’s always a hit. Every time I serve it, it’s the first dish to disappear! I love to pair it with other summer favorites like heirloom tomato salad, grilled lemon chicken, and garlic bread or biscuits for a meal that’s both delicious and easy. Plus, it’s a great feeling to see everyone enjoying something you made!
This summer, I’ve been entertaining more often, and there’s something special about sharing good food with great company. Whether it’s a casual backyard barbecue or a festive party next door, I’ve found that simple, flavorful dishes like this spaghetti salad always bring people together. Thus, let’s make the most of these summer days, live in the moment, and enjoy it all with a side of my cold spaghetti salad, okay? Good!
What Is A Spaghetti Salad?
Spaghetti salad is a vibrant mix of tender pasta tossed with veggies like tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers, plus salty olives and plenty of creamy feta cheese. It’s an awesome combination of fresh, crunchy ingredients and hearty spaghetti pasta, perfect for any occasion.
What You’ll Need
- Spaghetti: You can substitute with any pasta you like, such as rotini or penne.
- Grape Tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes or diced regular tomatoes can also be used.
- English Cucumber: You can use Persian cucumbers or regular cucumbers, too, but make sure to remove the seeds.
- Bell Peppers: Adds a mild tangy flavor. You can substitute with banana peppers for a milder taste or jalapeños for a spicier kick. Pepperoncinis are also great!
- Italian Seasoning: Enhances the Mediterranean flavors in the salad. A mix of dried oregano or dried basil can be used as substitutes.
- Red Onions: About 1/3 cup of finely diced red onions will add a sharp, tangy flavor and a crisp texture to the dish.
- Olives: I like to use garlic and basil marinated olives, but any plain or marinated olives will work.
- Italian Salad Dressing: You can use store-bought or homemade Italian salad dressing to add a rich, zesty flavor to the salad.
- Feta Cheese: Goat cheese, cubed mozzarella cheese, and gouda would also be perfect in this cold pasta salad. I sometimes like to add about 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese.
- Fresh Herbs: I like chopped fresh parsley and fresh dill weed. You can use any chopped fresh herbs you prefer.
How To Make Spaghetti Salad
You can never have too many pasta salad recipes! Follow these simple steps to prepare a delicious and refreshing dish for your next gathering.
- Cook the Spaghetti: Prepare the spaghetti according to the package instructions. Once cooked, drain and rinse with cold water.
- Chop the Vegetables: While the pasta is cooking, chop the tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onions, and olives.
- Combine Ingredients: In a large salad bowl, combine the cooked spaghetti with the chopped vegetables.
- Add Dressing: Drizzle with Italian dressing.
- Mix in Cheese and Herbs: Add the crumbled feta cheese, fresh dill, and parsley. Toss everything together until well combined.
- Chill: Refrigerate the salad for at least one hour to allow the flavors to meld.
- Serve: Give it a good toss before serving and enjoy!
Add-Ins Ideas
For this cold pasta salad, I like to add tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, and whatever else I can find for extra flavor! Here are a few ideas for adding more ingredients or making substitutions.
- Chopped broccoli florets
- Chopped cauliflower florets
- Shredded cooked chicken or salmon
- Grilled shrimp
- Diced ham or salami
- Chopped grilled zucchini
- Crumbled bacon
Recipe Tips
- Rinse the pasta. Cook the noodles to al dente. Once they are cooked, drain and rinse them with cold water to stop the cooking process. Make sure the spaghetti noodles are cold before continuing with the recipe.
- Save time on prep. The homemade Italian dressing can be made up to 2 weeks ahead as long as you keep it in the fridge. You can also chop all the veggies and keep them in separate containers until ready to use.
- Season to taste. Do a taste test and add more of what you think is needed. Also, adjust the ingredients based on your preferences—add more of the veggies you love and reduce or omit those you don’t.
Proper Storage
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container and kept in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
More Easy Pasta Recipes
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Spaghetti Salad
Ingredients
- 12 ounces thin spaghetti noodles
- 1 pint colorful grape tomatoes, quartered
- 1 whole English cucumber, quartered and sliced
- 1 cup finely chopped bell peppers, use any color bell peppers
- 1 cup marinated olives, drained and chopped
- ⅓ cup finely diced red onions
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, or to taste
- 1¼ cup Italian salad dressing
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 2 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill weed, or to taste
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the spaghetti according to the package directions. Drain and rinse well with cold water.
- Transfer the cooked spaghetti noodles to a big salad bowl and toss in the chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, olives, and onions.
- Add Italian seasoning and pour the dressing over the pasta and vegetables and toss to coat.
- Top with crumbled feta cheese, parsley, and dill weed. Toss again to combine. Taste the salad and season it with salt and pepper if desired.
- Cover and chill for 1 to 4 hours.
- Serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
What a fun variation on plain old pasta salad ~ and I adore olives, they make everything better!
This is such a great idea for a family picnic this summer!
So much yumminess in every bite! Perfect for Memorial Day picnics and gatherings!!
These look so delicious! You really can’t go wrong with spaghetti!
I am SO excited that it’s spaghetti salad season! LOVE all the flavors going on here!
This looks beautiful! Looks like I found my next picnic salad!
This is so perfect for warmer weather!!
That salad is totally calling my name! Definitely saving this recipe!
Yummmmm. These are my favorite flavors!
Looks delicious. Love a good picnic recipe!