Spaghetti salad is an incredibly flexible, fast pasta salad recipe that is such a crowd pleaser! Tossed in a savory homemade Italian dressing, this cold spaghetti salad recipe is a keeper.
It’s a recipe your friends and family will ask you to bring again and again. Filling, wholesome and delicious, it’s sure to be a hit!
Every home cook should have a classic pasta salad (or five!) in their line-up. We love pasta salad in our house all year long, but especially in the summer.
It’s cold, refreshing, holds so well in the fridge, and feeds a crowd! What’s not to love? I’ve brought you a variety of pasta salad recipes over the years – which ones have you tried?
Don’t skip these this collection of Pasta Salad Recipes if you’re a lover of allllll the pasta salads like we are!
Spaghetti Salad
This cold spaghetti salad is the ultimate crowd pleaser. It’s perfect for summertime picnics and potlucks because it feeds a crowd and carries so well.
Why You’ll Love It
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Spaghetti
- Cherry Tomatoes – Roma tomatoes diced also work well.
- Zucchini
- Cucumber
- Red Bell Pepper – You can use fresh red peppers, or switch it up with diced green bell peppers or roasted red peppers!
- Red Onion
- Olives
- Salami – Use sliced or cubed. You can ask your deli for thick slices to cube.
Pasta Salad Dressing
- Olive Oil – Extra Virgin is my favorite, but you can use what you have on hand. Canola oil makes a great substitute.
- Red Wine Vinegar – White wine vinegar or white balsamic vinegar also work well.
- Minced Garlic – Fresh or minced in a jar.
- Basil – Fresh or dried, your choice! Use 3 times more if fresh.
- Oregano – Fresh or dried, your choice! Use 3 times more if fresh.
- Sugar
- Salt – Thick flakes of salt from a grinder is my go to, but kosher salt works as well.
- Pepper – Thick flakes of coarse black pepper from a grinder offer the best flavor and texture, but you can use what you have on hand.
Variations
- Add Cheese – Mozzarella or Parmesan Cheese work well
- Add Pepperoncini
- Make it a Vegetarian/Vegan Pasta Salad – Omit salami.
How to Make Spaghetti Salad
- Prepare Spaghetti – Bring a large pot of water salty like the sea to a boil. Cook spaghetti al dente (so it doesn’t get mushy).
- Shock Pasta – Drain and rinse pasta in cold water. This stops the noodle from cooking, preventing it from becoming mushy.
- Make Dressing – In a jar, combine dressing ingredients. Shake until well combined.
- Toss – Toss spaghetti, dressing and toppings until thoroughly combined.
Tips
- Cook your noodles al dente. Don’t overcook your spaghetti! Especially when the cooked pasta will spend extra time soaking in a dressing, you don’t need to cook it too long.
- Rinse pasta in cold water before combining the salad with other ingredients.
- Use a high quality olive oil. When you’re making such a simple dressing, the individual ingredients will shine!
- Reserve a little dressing to refresh this pasta salad prior to serving.
- Shorten the strands – You can break your spaghetti noodles in half if you’re using a boxed pasta for shorter strands.
- Chop – I like to chop my veggies pretty coarsely for this recipe, but you can go as small or as large as you’d like.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is almost always served chilled, as it generally includes salad dressing and ingredients that aren’t meant to be warmed.
When you’re serving a warm pasta dish, you never want to rinse the pasta. The starch that is in the water from cooking the pasta will help your sauce cling to the noodles!
However, when it comes to a cold pasta salad, you should rinse it to help stop the pasta from cooking after it’s removed from the water. This is called “shocking” the pasta.
How to Store
- Room Temperature – This spaghetti salad should not sit out at room temperature for more than two hours.
- Refrigerator – Wrap your serving bowl tightly with plastic wrap, or choose a storage bowl with a tight fitting lid. Most pasta salads can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezer – I do not recommend freezing this tortellini pasta salad.
Serving Suggestions
This spaghetti salad serves beautifully with all types of grilled and baked proteins and summertime barbeque entrees!
Serve it alongside any of the following for a wholesome, healthy dinner!
- Beer Can Chicken
- Simple Baked Chicken
- The Best Burgers
- Steak Sliders
- Incredible Chicken Wraps
Pasta salad is one of my favorite BBQ Sides and Pulled Pork Sides – don’t skip this complete guide to help you plan your next cookout!
Spaghetti Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 zucchini diced
- 1 cucumber diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 red onion diced
- 1 3.8 ounce can sliced olives drained
- ¾ cup salami sliced or cubed
Pasta Salad Dressing
- 1 cup olive oil
- ½ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon white granulated sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta.
- While spaghetti cooks, chop your remaining ingredients.
- Drain and rinse pasta in cold water. Return to serving bowl.
- In a jar, combine dressing ingredients. Shake until well combined.
- Add chopped ingredients and dressing. Toss.
Tips
Substitutions
- Cherry Tomatoes – Roma tomatoes diced also work well.
- Red Bell Pepper – You can use fresh red peppers, or switch it up with diced green bell peppers or roasted red peppers!
- Salami – Use sliced or cubed. You can ask your deli for thick slices to cube.
- Olive Oil – Extra Virgin is my favorite, but you can use what you have on hand. Canola oil makes a great substitute.
- Red Wine Vinegar – White wine vinegar or white balsamic vinegar also work well.
- Minced Garlic – Fresh or minced in a jar.
- Basil – Fresh or dried, your choice! Use 3 times more if fresh.
- Oregano – Fresh or dried, your choice! Use 3 times more if fresh.
- Salt – Thick flakes of salt from a grinder is my go to, but kosher salt works as well.
- Pepper – Thick flakes of coarse black pepper from a grinder offer the best flavor and texture, but you can use what you have on hand.
Variations
- Add Cheese – Mozzarella or Parmesan Cheese work well
- Add Pepperoncini
- Make it a Vegetarian/Vegan Pasta Salad – Omit salami.
Tips
- You can break your spaghetti noodles in half if you’re using a boxed pasta for shorter strands.
- Cut veggies course or chunky – it’s completely up to you.
To Store
Refrigerate – Wrap your serving bowl tightly with plastic wrap, or choose a storage bowl with a tight fitting lid. Most pasta salads can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
Eating it frash the way i prepared it’s very good. Maybe little more salt.
EXCELENT!!!
Hello,
Thank you so much!
Have a great week,
Julie
Just made it and love it!
Delicious
Thanks for taking a moment to share!
It’s the best
Thank you, Linda!