California Spaghetti Salad

Coming out of California, this recipe is a perfect dish that is light, tasty, and easy to make. It is an ideal dish for any day of the week or time of year. Although it is called Spaghetti Salad, it is a cold dish that tastes great and is so easy to make, anyone could do it.

This is a great choice for picnics, potlucks, and parties. You can switch it up and customize the salad to your liking.

This is definitely not your ordinary pasta salad, and most would not expect normal or classic when it has California in the name. What makes this dish even better is that it can be prepared ahead of time.

It is a cold Pasta Salad, so the longer it chills, the better the Salad is.

So if you’re looking for a tasty way to celebrate all that California has to offer, why not try making some California spaghetti salad yourself? You won’t be disappointed!

Scroll to bottom for printable recipe card.

Why Try This California Spaghetti Salad Recipe

This is a simple recipe with just a few ingredients, it has great texture combinations, great flavor and is also versatile.

Could I use a different form of pasta?

You could use Shell macaroni, elbow macaroni, or even linguine. Basically, any shape of pasta is going to work for this dish.

Is this recipe customizable?

It sure is. You could use a different form of pasta, use a different type of dressing versus the tomato vinaigrette. You could switch up the types of vegetables that you use.

Ingredients for California Spaghetti Salad:

• Spaghetti noodles cooked to your liking, rinsed, and drained well
• Cherry tomatoes sliced in half
• Cucumber diced
• Zucchini diced
• Red bell pepper diced
• Green bell pepper diced
• Red onion diced
• Black olives sliced or diced
• Bottle Italian dressing
• Parmesan cheese grated
• Sesame seeds
• Paprika
• Celery seed
• Garlic powder

How to make California spaghetti salad?

Step 1. Cook the spaghetti to your liking, rinse under cold water, and drain well.

Step 2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the spaghetti, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, cucumber, zucchini, tomatoes, red onion, and black olives.

Step 3. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the Italian dressing, parmesan cheese, sesame seeds, paprika, celery seed, and garlic powder.

Step 4. Pour the dressing mixture over the spaghetti salad and toss to coat well.

Step 5. Chill for 2-3 hours before serving.

Enjoy immediately!

California Spaghetti Salad

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 -10 servings

Coming out of California, this recipe is a perfect dish that is light, tasty and easy to make. It is a perfect dish for any day of the week or time of year. Although it is called Spaghetti Salad, it is a cold dish that tastes great and is so easy to make, anyone could do it. This is a great choice for picnics, potlucks and parties. You can switch it up and customize the salad to your liking.

4.52 from 62 votes

Review Recipe

Ingredients 

• 1 lb. Spaghetti noodles cooked to your liking, rinsed and drained well
• 1 ½ C. Cherry tomatoes sliced in half
• 1 Cucumber diced
• 2 Zucchini diced
• 1 Red bell pepper diced
• 1 Green bell pepper diced
• 1 Red onion diced
• 1 Can Black olives sliced or diced
• 1 Bottle Italian dressing
• ½ C. Parmesan cheese grated
• 1 Tbsp. Sesame seeds
• 1 tsp. Paprika
• ½ tsp. Celery seed
• ¼ tsp. Garlic powder

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Instructions

• Cook the spaghetti to your liking, rinse under cold water and drain well.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the spaghetti, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, cucumber, zucchini, tomatoes, red onion and black olives.
• In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the Italian dressing, parmesan cheese, sesame seeds, paprika, celery seed and garlic powder.
• Pour the dressing mixture over the spaghetti salad and toss to coat well.
• Chill for 2-3 hours before serving.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 119kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 105mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g

Author: Marta

PIN FOR LATER 🙂

How is this Pasta Salad stored?

This California Spaghetti Salad should be covered and chilled in the refrigerator until serving time. If there is any leftover, it can be placed into an airtight container and kept for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.

Can I store the California Spaghetti Salad in the freezer?

You can store the Spaghetti Salad in the freezer for up to 3 months. I have not tried to freeze the salad, however, I am sure it would work out fine.

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