Spaghetti Pasta Salad Recipe
There are a lot of pasta salad recipes available, and this spaghetti pasta salad is a go-to favorite for everyone in my family. Making this cold pasta salad in advance allows all of the ingredients to mix together and create a zesty, bold, flavor profile that transcends through the summer and beyond.
Equipment
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 large bowl
- 1 pot
- 1 Knife
Ingredients
- 1 lb thin spaghetti noodles
- 1 cucumber (sliced and quartered)
- 1 red bell pepper (diced)
- 1 small red onion (cut into thin pieces)
- 8 oz cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 8 oz mini pepperoni
- 1 can sliced black olives (drained)
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp sea salt
Dressing
- ¾ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup vinegar (red wine or white wine vinegar)
- 2 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¾ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add in 1 tsp. of sea salt and the pasta. Cook until al 'denté. Drain.
- Once the pasta is cooled, toss all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, combine the salad dressing ingredients.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat the salad.
- Chill for 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Make sure you use a large mixing bowl to mix the ingredients together. You can transfer the salad to a small bowl to serve.
- Make sure you cook the pasta as instructed to create the perfect al dente texture. If the pasta is overcooked, the salad will become mushy.
- You will want to make sure the pasta has cooled before adding the other ingredients. If you add the dressing while the noodles are still hot, the dressing will slide off of the noodles instead of absorbing into the pasta
- You can break the pasta noodles in half for more bite-sized pieces, which is great for a picnic when you may not have a knife on hand.
- If you are not planning on serving the salad right away, you may want to add the cheese later so that it does not get overly mushy.