Filled with fresh vegetables, tangy Italian dressing, and delightful twirls of pasta, you'll want to savor each bite of this California Spaghetti Salad.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time8 minutesmins
Total Time18 minutesmins
Course: Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8
Calories: 247kcal
Ingredients
8ouncesthin spaghetti roughly broken into thirds or quarters, about 2-3 inches long
2cupsgrape tomatoessliced in half
1English cucumberdiced into ½-inch pieces, about 1½ cups
3red, yellow, orange, or green bell peppersdiced into ½-inch pieces, about 3 cups
½medium red onion sliced very thin and roughly chopped, about ¾ cup
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Break the pasta as directed, and cook according to the package directions. Drain and rinse the pasta until cold.
While the pasta is cooking, halve the tomatoes and dice the other vegetables. Then, combine the tomatoes, cucumbers, bell pepper, onion, and olives in a large bowl. Add the cooled pasta to the bowl with the vegetables.
Pour the Italian salad dressing over the pasta and vegetables. Stir to coat everything well.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds, paprika, celery seeds, and Parmesan cheese. Stir again to mix throughout. Serve or refrigerate until ready to eat.
Notes
If at all possible, try this with a homemade Italian salad dressing. It makes a world of difference with the flavors here. The lemon brightens it beautifully.