Spaghetti Salad

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

Cook Time8

Total Time18

Course: Main Course, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Mary Younkin

Ingredients

8 ounces thin spaghetti roughly broken into thirds or quarters, about 2-3 inches long
2 cups grape tomatoes sliced in half
1 English cucumber diced into ½-inch pieces, about 1½ cups
3 red, yellow, orange, or green bell peppers diced into ½-inch pieces, about 3 cups
½ medium red onion sliced very thin and roughly chopped, about ¾ cup
2.5 ounces sliced black olives drained
10-12 ounces Italian salad dressing store-bought or homemade, about 1½ cups
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
½ teaspoon smoked or regular paprika
¼ teaspoon celery seeds
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

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.

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