Spaghetti Pasta Salad

Name: Spaghetti Pasta Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 8 serving
Ingredients: 1 pound spaghetti noodles; 12 ounce can sliced black olives; 1 cup cucumber; 1 cup cherry tomatoes; ½ cup red bell pepper; ½ cup green bell pepper; ½ cup crumbled Feta cheese; ¼ cup finely diced red onion; ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese; 3 tablespoons fresh parsley; 16 ounce bottle italian dressing; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; Lemon juice and or balsamic vinegar

User Reviews

5.0

15 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Chill Time
45 mins
Total Time
1 hr 10 mins
Servings
8
Calories
322 kcal
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Italian

Spaghetti Pasta Salad

Jade Rice

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🍝🥗😋 If you need a FAST and EASY hit for your next potluck, summer picnic, or barbecue, look no further than this spaghetti pasta salad recipe! Served chilled, it’s full of juicy cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, salty olives, plenty of Parmesan and feta cheese, and coated with tangy Italian dressing so it's bursting with FLAVOR!

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Ingredients

Servings

1 pound spaghetti noodles broken in half; cooked al dente
12 ounce can sliced black olives drained
1 cup cucumber sliced and quartered (if using English cucumber you don't need to peel it; for regular cucumbers I recommend peeling)
1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
½ cup red bell pepper diced small
½ cup green bell pepper diced small
½ cup crumbled Feta cheese
¼ cup finely diced red onion
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons fresh parsley Italian flat leaf recommended rather than regular parsley, finely diced
16 ounce bottle italian dressing lite or reduced fat may be used
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Lemon juice and or balsamic vinegar optional and to taste

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Instructions

To a large stockpot with salted water, add the spaghetti noodles and cook according to package directions for al dente. When finished, drain, rinse with cold water, shake well to remove excess water, and then transfer to the bowl with the vegetables. Tip - While the pasta is boiling, make sure to work on dicing all the vegetables.
To a very large bowl*, add all the ingredients (except the Italian dressing) and stir to combine.
After the noodles have been drained and rinsed with cold water, add them to the bowl with the vegetables, and stir and toss to combine.
Add the Italian dressing and stir and toss again to coat.
Taste the salad and add salt and pepper, to taste. Tip - Because you're flavoring a huge bowl of food including a pound of pasta and another pound of vegetables, in my opinion it's better to not be shy when adding salt and pepper. I probably add nearly 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper but I season my food very well. Season to your own personal taste, but if it tastes at all bland, boring, or dull, it likely needs salt and you shouldn't be afraid to add it.
If desired, add the juice from half of a lemon, and/or 1 to 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar; or to taste, and stir and toss well to combine.
Cover the bowl well and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes to chill before serving, or up to overnight. Serving chilled is my preference although it holds fine at room temp if you're serving it at an event or in warm weather. Leftovers will keep airtight in the fridge for 4-5 days. Tip - If the leftovers seem a bit dry, add additional Italian dressing and/or a spritz of olive oil to rehydrate. I do not recommend freezing leftovers because the fresh veggies will not do well upon thawing and will become very mushy.

Notes

I like using a large glass bowl with a lid for this recipe. The recipe makes a bit quantity of food (1 pound of pasta plus 1 pound and then some of veggies) and without a large enough bowl, it's hard to stir and toss everything properly. Additionally, I like to use bowls with lids because it makes it easier to store without having to cover with plastic wrap or foil. Plus you can stack other items on top of a bowl + lid in your fridge when space is at a premium in your fridge.

Nutrition Information

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Serving 1 Calories 322kcal (16%) Carbohydrates 31g (10%) Protein 6g (12%) Fat 20g (31%) Saturated Fat 4g (20%) Polyunsaturated Fat 14g Cholesterol 11mg (4%) Sodium 1060mg (44%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 9g (18%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 322 kcal

% Daily Value*

Serving	1
Calories	322kcal	16%
Carbohydrates	31g	10%
Protein	6g	12%
Fat	20g	31%
Saturated Fat	4g	20%
Polyunsaturated Fat	14g	82%
Cholesterol	11mg	4%
Sodium	1060mg	44%
Fiber	3g	12%
Sugar	9g	18%