Summer Italian Spaghetti Salad Recipe (2024)

Light and fresh, enjoy this cold spaghetti salad. Summer Italian Spaghetti Salad Recipe is a spaghetti salad with fresh veggies and Italian dressing. Watch the video!

Summer Italian Spaghetti Salad Recipe (1)

Using your favorite pasta and Parmesan cheese, add either salami or pepperoni for this cold, Summer Italian Spaghetti Salad Recipe. Serve this salad with Best Grilled Chicken Thighs (so good). And friends, I want to tell you about my new book out this year, Big Boards for Families! You can preorder it now!

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Summer Italian Spaghetti Salad Recipe

This salad is great for any potluck or summer party.

Make homemade Italian dressing, or optional to buy store-bought, when you’re in a pinch for time!

You may have also tried my Potluck Spaghetti Tuna Salad Recipe or Easy Italian Pasta Salad Recipe.

Summer Italian Spaghetti Salad Recipe (2)

Italian Spaghetti Salad

Friends, we’ve been trying to get together with some good friends from out of town.

It’s hard to get a date on the calendar sometimes, and it takes work and intention to make it happen.

On the menu? This potluck favorite: Italian Spaghetti Salad Recipe

Summer Italian Spaghetti Salad Recipe (3)

How do you make Cold Spaghetti Salad

Pairing well with any barbecue, this cold spaghetti salad is perfect to serve with this pepperoncini steak.

  1. Cook the spaghetti pasta according to package directions.
  2. Rinse and drain and cool.
  3. Add the ingredients; coat with dressing.
  4. Optional to make homemade dressing, or you can use a good variety of store-bought.

Summer Italian Spaghetti Salad Recipe (4)

What goes in a spaghetti salad?

This a a spaghetti salad recipe with Italian dressing, and other fresh garden ingredients. Everyone loves it.

These are our favorite ingredients that go into a spaghetti salad:

  • Pasta – use spaghetti
  • Veggies – green pepper, red pepper, cucumbers, red onion, cherry tomatoes – add your favorites!
  • Meat – salami or pepperoni
  • Black olives & delicious cheese!
  • Your favorite dressing – YUM!

Homemade Italian Dressing

Optional to make your own Italian dressing. Here are the ingredients:

  • Red wine vinegar
  • Dried basil and oregano
  • Lemon juice
  • Garlic
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Summer Italian Spaghetti Salad Recipe (5)

Relaxing at home

Our son asked, are you going to go to your favorite restaurant, mom?

I said, no way. It’s way more authentic in our home, easy, less-expensive, and … I love this plaque.

Stay awhile.

People feel more inclined to sit back, relax, and …stay awhile when we make a home-cooked meal.

Summer Italian Spaghetti Salad Recipe (6)

Double the spaghetti salad recipe

Here’s what I love about summer cooking: COOK EXTRA. Double the recipe for any party!

Eating at home on a regular basis doesn’t mean you need to cook every night, too. So leftovers are great!

Summer Italian Spaghetti Salad Recipe (7)

How do you make Spaghetti Salad with Italian Dressing?

For the best flavor, it’s optional to make this salad the night before!

So light, fresh, and made with fresh garden veggies.

I sometimes use DeLallo’s Italian dressing–the flavor is so amazing. But you can buy your favorite dressing (or make it).

You can even add the dressing right before serving.

Summer Italian Spaghetti Salad Recipe (8)

Spaghetti Salad Recipe

This time we used gluten-free pasta for our friend Ashley, who has celiac’s. It was super good! Normally we use a whole grain pasta though.

Cook in salted water (no oil), and rinse and cool!

Super yummy served as leftovers!

Summer Italian Spaghetti Salad Recipe (9)

Set the table

Set the table (I’m a daisy lover, are you?), heat up the grill, serve a few side salads, and you’ll have the BEST summer barbecue! (Gray plates from Target, napkins from IKEA, chargers from Simon Pearce, tablecloth from IKEA).

And don’t forget to tell your guests … Stay Awhile!

Happy Hosting!

More summer salads: Easy Pad Thai Salad, BEST Potato Salad, Carrot Prune Fresh Parsley Salad, Avocado Pasta Salad, and Cowboy Pasta Salad.

Summer Italian Spaghetti Salad Recipe (10)

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Summer Italian Spaghetti Salad Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

Yield: 8

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Ingredients

  • 1 16 oz pkg thin spaghetti, halved
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup cucumber, diced
  • 1 cup Salami slices (or pepperoni, or both), cut into small pieces
  • 1 medium green pepper, diced
  • 1/2 small red onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup black olives, drained, thinly sliced
  • 1 bottle Italian salad dressing, OR MAKE YOUR OWN (recipe below)
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Homemade Italian Dressing

  • 1 1/2 cups Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 3 TBSP red wine vinegar
  • 1 TBSP dried oregano
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 TBSP fresh squeezed lemon, plus more to taste
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 TBSP Parmesan cheese
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Cook spaghetti according to package directions, usually 1 minute less in time (el dente); drain and rinse. Add a drizzle of olive oil so pasta does not stick together. Refrigerate until cool.

  • Place in a large bowl; add tomatoes, cucumber, salami, pepper, red onion, and olives.

  • Combine remaining ingredients; pour over salad and toss to coat. Add the Parmesan cheese; gently stir together. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours; serve!

Notes

Originally posted JULY 2017

Cuisine: Italian

Course: Salad

Author: Sandy / Reluctant Entertainer

Did you make this recipe?Tag @reluctantentertainer on Instagram and hashtag it #reluctantentertainer!

We love these clear glass serving / mixing bowls!

Summer Italian Spaghetti Salad Recipe (11)

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Summer Italian Spaghetti Salad Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are the five mistakes to avoid pasta salad? ›

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Making Pasta Salad
  • Using the wrong pasta. The wrong pasta type or size can make pasta salad soggy, slimy, or just plain hard to eat. ...
  • Salting only once, at the end. ...
  • Too many raw ingredients! ...
  • Overdressing or underdressing the salad. ...
  • Not seasoning again just before serving.

What is Italian pasta salad made of? ›

Combine pasta, salami, bell peppers, onion, mozzarella balls, and olives in a large bowl. Add salad dressing and toss to coat.

Is it best to make pasta salad the day before? ›

For storing: After I make this pasta salad, whether making it ahead or storing leftovers, I just pop it in the fridge and it will keep for 2-3 days. For making ahead: I love to make pasta salad 12-24 hours ahead of time. This gives it time to absorb the dressing but not get mushy!

What is spaghetti salad made of? ›

Pour salad dressing and vinegar over noodles; mix well. Add onion, pepperoni, mushrooms, tomatoes, olives, seasoning mix, and Parmesan cheese; stir until well combined. Serve at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate for several hours, or overnight.

Should I rinse pasta for cold pasta salad? ›

The starch in the water is what helps the sauce adhere to your pasta. The only time you should ever rinse your pasta is when you are going to use it in a cold dish like a pasta salad or when you are not going to use it immediately. In those cases, rinsing the pasta helps to stop the cooking process.

What is the best olive oil for pasta salad? ›

The best olive oil for salads is the extra virgin olive oil. It is the olive oil with most flavored and fruity of all of them. But of course, there are many varieties of extra virgin olive oils, each of which have their own characteristics.

Do Italians eat salad before or after pasta? ›

You don't eat pasta and salad together. You eat pasta and then you eat the salad. It's a primo piatto, meaning it's a first course, which you can't translate as an appetizer. Pasta is not an appetizer, it's often the main part of the meal, but it is served as a separate course.

Does pasta salad contain mayo? ›

In addition to the mayonnaise and sour cream, we use these ingredients: Yellow mustard adds a bit of color and rounds out the flavor of the dressing nicely. We usually use Dijon mustard in our recipes, but just like when making our potato salad, we prefer regular yellow mustard for the best pasta salad.

Why do Italians eat salad after pasta? ›

One of the main reasons that traditional Italian meals have salads served after a large meal instead of before is to cleanse the palate, or the roof of the mouth. You probably know that after you eat, sometimes the taste of your meal can linger in your mouth for some time afterwards.

Should you rinse pasta after cooking for pasta salad? ›

When you're making cold pasta salads, it's helpful to rinse your cooked pasta because it's going to lower the temperature of the pasta, which is ideal given that it's going to be served chilled — often alongside other cool and/or raw ingredients.

Why does my pasta salad taste weird? ›

Vinegar and other acidic ingredients do strange things to the flavor of pasta when used in salad-level amounts. Ever notice an irritating acerbic aftertaste just about every time you've eaten pasta salad? That's the vinegar announcing itself, and it's not pleasant.

How do you keep pasta salad from absorbing dressing? ›

Beyond this, the solution is simple: don't drain as much water from the cooked pasta, and add more dressing. There's a limit to how much moisture pasta will absorb. I would add that another solution is to cool your macaroni salad ingredients overnight separately, then combine before dining.

Why do people put mayo in spaghetti? ›

Here's the trick to take it up a notch: add mayonnaise to the sauce. Unusual? Definitely. But the mayo makes the sauce extra smooth and creamy.

What makes spaghetti Italian? ›

The reason is simple: it's all in the flour. Dry pasta is made with only two ingredients, flour and water. In Italy, that flour comes from a kind of wheat called grano duro (“hard wheat”), a completely different species from the wheat used here to make all-purpose flour and bread products.

How long does spaghetti salad last in the fridge? ›

But how long, exactly, is that pasta salad going to last? The majority of pasta salads will last between three to five days in the refrigerator. This is provided you are storing the salad properly, in an airtight container so as to prevent any harmful bacteria from growing in your salad.

What are the seven things that you should not do when preparing the salad? ›

Common Salad Mistakes
  1. Here are seven things you should NOT do when making salads: Too much dressing. ...
  2. Pouring on the dressing. ...
  3. Wet salad leaves. ...
  4. Not seasoning it. ...
  5. Subpar salad dressings. ...
  6. Uncreative toppings. ...
  7. Served in a bowl.
May 13, 2013

When creating a salad what 5 factors should you consider? ›

But today, I am going to teach you how to make a salad without using a recipe so you, too, can become a salad artist. Sound like a deal? There are five elements to a perfect salad: greens, sweetness, creaminess, crunchiness, and dressing.

What is necessary to avoid when making fresh pasta? ›

15 Mistakes To Avoid When Making Fresh Pasta
  1. Not using the well method to mix your pasta. ...
  2. Using the wrong type of flour. ...
  3. Using too many egg whites. ...
  4. Not using the correct dry-to-wet ingredient ratio. ...
  5. Not adding semolina. ...
  6. Under-kneading your pasta dough. ...
  7. Forgetting to rest your pasta dough. ...
  8. Rolling out your pasta by hand.
Feb 1, 2023

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