Easy Spaghetti Salad

Square overhead shot of a spaghetti salad recipe served in a white bowl.

Crisp vegetables, cubed cheese, and long noodles tossed in zesty Italian dressing. It's the easy, make-ahead side that always disappears first at a cookout, potluck, or picnic.

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword cold spaghetti salad, spaghetti pasta salad, spaghetti salad, spaghetti salad recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Chilling Time 2

Total Time 2 35

Servings people

Calories 424kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

1 lb. spaghetti
1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 English cucumber, diced (about 1 cup)
1 medium bell pepper (any color), seeded and diced (about 1 cup)
1 cup (4 ounces) cubed cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, or Monterey Jack cheese
½ small red onion, thinly sliced (about ½ cup)
1 (2.25 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained (about ½ cup)
1 (15-16 ounce) bottle Italian dressing (we like Wishbone Italian or Wishbone Zesty Italian)
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

Cook the Spaghetti in a large pot of well-salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water until cool.
Mix the Salad: In a large bowl, combine the cooled spaghetti with the tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, cheese, red onion, and olives.
Add the Dressing: Pour about three-quarters of the bottle (12 ounces) of Italian dressing over the mixture. Toss until well coated, and save the extra dressing in the fridge for later.
Chill: Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or overnight) to let the flavors come together. Just before serving, stir well and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the reserved dressing if the salad seems dry, then sprinkle with fresh parsley.

Notes

Pasta: Spaghetti is classic, but rotini, penne, shells, or elbows all work. Break the noodles in half before cooking for easier tossing and serving.
Veggies: Swap in whatever you have on hand: broccoli, cauliflower, corn, zucchini, or mushrooms.
Cheese: Cubed cheddar, mozzarella, Monterey Jack, feta, or Parmesan are all delicious in the mix.
Make it heartier: Add salami, mini pepperoni, diced ham, or bacon to turn it into a light meal.
Dressing: We like Wishbone Italian or Zesty Italian. Any similar bottle, or a homemade Italian vinaigrette, works well.
Reserve some dressing: Hold back about a quarter of the bottle and toss it in right before serving so the salad isn't dry.
Make ahead: Best after 2 or more hours of chilling. Overnight is even better.

Nutrition