Description

California Spaghetti Salad is a vibrant, refreshing pasta dish loaded with fresh vegetables and tossed in a flavorful Italian dressing mixture. Perfect as a light lunch or a side dish for summer gatherings, this easy-to-make salad combines cooked spaghetti noodles with crunchy bell peppers, zucchini, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, olives, and a zesty parmesan-dressed sesame seed blend for a satisfying and colorful meal.

Ingredients

Scale

Pasta

1 lb. Spaghetti noodles, cooked to your liking, rinsed and drained well

Vegetables

1 ½ cups Cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 Cucumber, diced
2 Zucchini, diced
1 Red bell pepper, diced
1 Green bell pepper, diced
1 Red onion, diced
1 Can Black olives, sliced or diced

Dressing & Seasoning

1 Bottle Italian dressing
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tablespoon Sesame seeds
1 teaspoon Paprika
½ teaspoon Celery seed
¼ teaspoon Garlic powder

Instructions

Cook Spaghetti: Cook the spaghetti noodles according to the package instructions until they reach your preferred texture. Then rinse them under cold water to stop the cooking process and drain thoroughly to remove excess moisture.
Prepare Vegetables: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked spaghetti with diced red bell pepper, green bell pepper, cucumber, zucchini, halved cherry tomatoes, diced red onion, and sliced or diced black olives to create a vibrant vegetable base.
Make Dressing: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the Italian dressing, grated Parmesan cheese, sesame seeds, paprika, celery seed, and garlic powder until well combined to create a flavorful and aromatic dressing.
Toss Salad: Pour the prepared dressing over the spaghetti and vegetable mixture. Toss everything gently but thoroughly to coat all ingredients evenly with the dressing.
Chill: Cover the pasta salad and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours before serving, allowing the flavors to meld and the salad to chill for best taste and texture.

Notes

For best results, use freshly grated Parmesan cheese rather than pre-grated.
Adjust the quantity of Italian dressing to your taste preference for more or less tanginess.
You can substitute any vegetables based on seasonality or preference, such as adding shredded carrots or radishes.
Chilling the salad is important as it enhances the flavors and firms up the noodles for a better texture.
Serve this salad as a side dish for barbecues, picnics, or as a light main course.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Category: Salad
Method: No-Cook
Cuisine: American

Keywords: California Spaghetti Salad, pasta salad, Italian dressing pasta, vegetarian pasta salad, summer salad, cold pasta salad