Summer Spaghetti Salad is a simple twist on the classic pasta salad. Made with just a few simple ingredients, this will become your new go to summer side dish!
Hi everyone! Amanda here from Old House to New Home sharing a simple summer spaghetti salad recipe inspired by one of my favorite summer memories. When I was young, we spent many summer days at our favorite local amusement park. All of my friends and their families would get together and rent a pavilion and we would all bring food. My friend’s mom would bring this delicious linguine salad that was so simple. Tomatoes, cucumbers, linguine and dressing. I have always loved pasta salad, so even as a kid, I would eat plates and plates of this simple linguine salad.
Summer days as a kid are the best. No responsibilities, frequent trips to the pool and the park, and lots of lounging. I always really loved summer BBQs as well and I can’t say that has changed! I look forward to picnics and BBQs all year long and definitely love any occasion to make tasty food! I usually volunteer to bring the pasta salad because a picnic isn’t complete without it and unfortunately, there is a very fine line between a good and a bad pasta salad, and I really don’t want a bad one at my picnic!
I have a couple pasta salad tips that will ensure you are always asked to bring the pasta salad to the party too! No matter the recipe, make sure you add a lot of salt to the boiling water and also slightly under cook your pasta. The salt helps add a lot of flavor to your salad and by undercooking your pasta, you help the noodles stand up to the dressing. Most pasta salads taste better when they get to sit for a while, but after all that sitting, sometimes the noodles get mushy if you overcooked them.
This Summer Spaghetti Salad recipe is so easy and uses minimal ingredients. It is the perfect salad to whip together when you are short on time! I hope you love this recipe as much as I do!
Summer Spaghetti Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti noodles
- 2 medium sized cucumbers peeled, seeded and diced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes quarted
- 12 ounces canned black olives drained and halved
- 1/4 cup red onion diced fine
- 1.5 cups Zesty Italian dressing more or less, to taste
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook spaghetti to al dente according to pack.age directions. Drain, rinse under cold water and set aside.
- Add cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, parsley and onions to a bowl. Season with salt and pepper, then toss with spaghetti.
- Pour 1 cup of Italian dressing over the pasta and vegetables. Toss to combine, taste, and add more dressing as desired.
- Refrigerate for at least four hours. Serve cold, topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Nutrition
Looking for more easy summer salad recipes?
Spinach and Artichoke Pasta Salad
Roasted Red Pepper Tortellini Salad
Roasted Corn and Bacon Potato Salad
Love this Spaghetti Salad? Try these yummy pasta salads:
Bacon Ranch Chicken Pasta Salad
Balsamic Strawberry Spinach Pasta Salad
For all salads go HERE and for the Recipe Index go HERE.
Can I leave out the wine
There is no wine in this recipe. It calls for red wine vinegar which is where a lot of the flavor in the dressing comes from. But it’s a vinegar, not alcohol.