SUMMER SPAGHETTI SALAD (+Video)

Name: SUMMER SPAGHETTI SALAD
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 lb box spaghetti noodles; 1 green pepper, (diced); 1 red pepper, (diced); 1/2 red onion, (thinly sliced); 1 English cucumber, (sliced); 1 cup grape tomatoes, (sliced in half); 1 (2.25 oz) can sliced olives, (drained); 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, (cut into cubes); 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese; 1 tbsp McCormick Salad Supreme seasoning; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 (16 oz) bottle Wish Bone Italian dressing

May 7, 2019 by Brandie @ The Country Cook 38 Comments

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5 from 22 votes

This summer Spaghetti Salad recipe is a classic and is full of veggies, cheese, seasoning and tossed with a yummy Italian dressing. Always a hit!

SUMMER SPAGHETTI PASTA SALAD

There are lots of variations to this particular recipe. I first heard about it from my friend Patricia (remember her, from the HULI-HULI CHICKEN recipe?) Anyhow, she has a recipe similar to this that her Mom used to make.

VIDEO INCLUDED BELOW:

WHAT KIND OF DRESSING IS BEST FOR SPAGHETTI SALAD?

For most pasta salads that require Italian dressing, I go with an old classic: Wish-Bone Robusto Italian. Use your favorite dressing or make your own Italian dressing. You’ll need about 2 cups. Also, I like to use English cucumbers because the skin is so tender that you can eat it. It just makes prep work easier and it tastes good. Other veggies you can use are zucchini and squash. Any type of cheese that you love will work in this. I’m using Kerrygold Dubliner cheese here which is a slightly firmer cheese. Feta cheese is one of my favorites to use as well. The McCormick Salad Supreme seasoning can be found with the other seasonings in your grocery store.

Summer Spaghetti Salad recipe from The Country Cook

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
spaghetti noodles
green pepper
red pepper
red onion
English cucumber
grape tomatoes
can of sliced olives,
cheddar cheese
grated Parmesan cheese
McCormick Salad Supreme seasoning
garlic powder
Wish-Bone Italian dressing

1 (1 lb.) box spaghetti noodles 1 green pepper, diced 1 red pepper, diced 1/2 red onion, sliced thinly 1 English cucumber, sliced 1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half 1 (2.25 oz.) can sliced olives, drained 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 tbsp. McCormick Salad Supreme seasoning (optional) 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 (16 oz.) bottle Wish-Bone Italian dressing

HOW TO MAKE SUMMER SPAGHETTI SALAD:

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. I am using the ‘Pot Perfect’ spaghetti noodles. They are half-size pieces of spaghetti that fit perfectly into your pot. It’s perfect for this because it helps with the noodles being a bit easier to manage while eating. I also season the boiling water with one tablespoon of kosher salt before putting the noodles in. Stir noodles often while cooking.

pot sized spaghetti noodles cooking in pot of boiling water

While you’re waiting for the spaghetti to cook, start dicing the veggies.

diced cucumbers, green peppers, red pepper on wooden cutting board

I shared this tip a couple of weeks ago but it’s so useful, I’m sharing again. When you are using uncooked onions in a dish, soak them in ice water for a few minutes to help reduce some of that overpowering flavor.

Drain pasta noodles and rinse gently with cool water.

cooked spaghetti noodles in metal strainer

In a large bowl – and I do mean LARGE bowl – add in all your diced veggies, olives and cheeses.

Cooked spaghetti noodles, Dubliner diced cheese, sliced red onion, sliced cherry tomatoes, green pepper, red pepper, cucumber, sliced olives in a large clear glass bowl

Then add the cooked and cooled spaghetti on top. It was at this moment that I realized I had grabbed the wrong glass bowl and this one was too small (sigh – my largest one was dirty so it was off to find a bigger bowl somewhere in my house!)

cooked spaghetti noodles, grape tomatoes, peppers, onions in a clear bowl

With a bigger bowl found, I topped it all with the Mccormick Salad Supreme seasoning as well as the garlic powder.

Give it all a gentle toss. Pour Italian dressing over noodles.

wish Bone Zest Italian Dressing poured over prepared spaghetti noodle salad

Stir mixture gently until combined.

Cover with plastic wrap and allow to cool for at least two hours before serving. It gets even better as it cools!

Enjoy!

Originally published: May 2016
Updated and republished: May 2019