Description
California Spaghetti Salad is a refreshing and colorful pasta salad featuring thin spaghetti tossed with fresh vegetables, black olives, and a flavorful Italian dressing enhanced with Parmesan cheese and a blend of seeds and spices. Perfect as a light lunch or a side dish for picnics and barbecues.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad
- 1 pound thin spaghetti, broken into 1 inch pieces
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, chopped in half
- 1 cucumber, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 1 can black olives, drained and sliced
Dressing
- 1 bottle Italian salad dressing (16 ounces)
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Boil a large pot of water and cook the thin spaghetti broken into 1-inch pieces according to the package directions until al dente. Drain the pasta using a colander and rinse under cold water to stop cooking and cool it down.
- Prepare the vegetables: In a large mixing bowl, combine the halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, diced red bell pepper, diced red onion, and sliced black olives.
- Make the dressing: In a separate bowl, whisk together the Italian salad dressing, grated Parmesan cheese, sesame seeds, paprika, celery seed, and garlic powder until well blended and flavorful.
- Toss the salad: Pour the dressing over the pasta and vegetable mixture. Toss everything thoroughly until the spaghetti and vegetables are evenly coated with the dressing.
- Chill the salad: Cover the salad bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or ideally overnight to allow the flavors to meld together and the salad to chill before serving.
Notes
- Breaking the spaghetti into smaller pieces makes it easier to eat as a salad.
- Rinsing the pasta under cold water after cooking prevents it from sticking and cools it for the salad.
- Chilling the salad overnight enhances the flavor absorption of the dressing.
- You can add fresh herbs like basil or parsley for extra freshness.
- Use a good-quality Italian dressing or make your own for best results.
- Optional: sprinkle extra Parmesan cheese before serving for added taste.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Boiling and Tossing (Stovetop)
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: California Spaghetti Salad, pasta salad, Italian dressing salad, vegetarian pasta salad, picnic salad, summer salad
