Cold spaghetti salad is an easy pasta salad to make ahead for parties. Prep time is less than 30 minutes. It’s perfect for entertaining because it feeds a crowd, and it’s always a party favorite. Make this Italian pasta salad for anything from a casual dinner party to a everyday side dish to salad for a special occasion.
Ingredients Needed:
- Spaghetti: I like to use the thin spaghetti for this recipe.
- Tomatoes: I like to use pear or cherry tomatoes for this salad.
- Cucumber: Take the seeds out and dice (no need to peel).
- Zucchini: Dice your zucchini (no need to peel).
- Bell Peppers: Use any color of bell peppers.
- Italian Salad Dressing: Use store bought (brand suggestions below) or make your own homemade Italian dressing (recipe below).
- Parmesan Cheese: Use grated Parmesan cheese, not shredded.
- Seasonings: Use sesame seeds, paprika, celery seed and garlic powder.
- Parsley: Use chopped fresh Italian parsley!
How to make this Spaghetti Salad recipe:
The complete, printable recipe is at the end of this post. Here is a brief overview.
Cook spaghetti; drain. Add the cooked spaghetti noodles and vegetables to a bowl. Toss with Italian dressing. Then add the seasonings and toss again.
Recipe Tips
- Do you have to use spaghetti to make spaghetti salad? Well, if you are making “spaghetti salad,” it’s traditional. But you can always turn it into a delicious pasta salad of any kind by using penne, rotini, farfalle or fusilli.
- Be sure to season the pasta water with salt to help enhance the flavor of the pasta.
- After cooking, rinse the pasta under cold water to stop the cooking process. This will avoid ending up with mushy, overcooked pasta.
- You may wish to season your spaghetti salad with Italian dressing twice. Once it’s tossed with the pasta, the pasta will absorb the dressing. So you can plan to add a little more dressing just before serving to freshen it up with additional flavor.
- Give the salad a chance to chill before serving.
- Leftovers of this spaghetti salad recipe should be kept in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If the pasta soaks up the Italian dressing, just add a little more and toss again.
What is the best Italian dressing to use for this spaghetti salad recipe?
Here are the recommended brands:
- Ken’s Steakhouse Zesty Italian has a bold, peppery, and slightly thicker—great flavor that clings well to pasta.
- Olive Garden Signature Italian is creamier than most, slightly sweet, and crowd-pleasing if you like a smoother texture.
- Newman’s Own Family Recipe Italian has a robust flavor with real garlic and herbs—balances well with fresh vegetables.
- Wish-Bone Robusto Italian is a classic, zesty, and herb-heavy—perfect if you like a more intense flavor.
How to make your own Italian Dressing:
Homemade Italian salad dressing is certainly an option too. In a shaker jar or salad dressing shaker, combine 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup white wine or red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon honey and salt and pepper. The Italian dressing can be made up to 3 days ahead of serving.
Suggested Additions for Spaghetti Salad:
There are so many things you can add to a cold spaghetti salad. Consider some of these favorites!
- Add mini mozzarella balls crumbled feta cheese or chunks of cheddar cheese.
- This recipe is naturally vegetarian as written, but you can always add meats or other proteins like crispy bacon bits, salami, mini pepperoni, white beans, chickpeas, grilled shrimp or grilled chicken.
- Some people like to add a little of the McCormick “Salad Supreme Seasoning,” which can be found in your market’s spice aisle (or the salad dressing aisle).
- Sliced olives or capers add some great flavor to spaghetti salad.
- Add additional vegetables such as mushrooms, green onion, red onion, corn or artichoke hearts.
- Make it spicy by adding some red pepper flakes.
- Sprinkle a few toasted pine nuts on top!
What are the best things to serve with cold spaghetti salad?
Spaghetti salad is a great side dish to grilled chicken or fish. You can also serve it with a rotisserie chicken or steak, garlic bread and a simple dessert. And it’s the perfect salad to bring to a spring or summer potluck or barbecue since it’s a big time crowd-pleaser.
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Cook the spaghetti in a pot of boiling water that has 1 tablespoon Kosher salt added to it, rinse with cold water and let cool.
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To a large bowl, add the spaghetti, tomato, cucumber, zucchini and bell peppers. Toss this mixture with the Italian dressing.
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In a small bowl, combine the Parmesan cheese, sesame seeds, paprika, celery seed and garlic powder. Sprinkle this mixture into the salad and toss. Garnish with fresh parsley.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 160kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 0.2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 1502mg, Potassium: 271mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 688IU, Vitamin C: 43mg, Calcium: 25mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.