Easy Cold Spaghetti Salad with Homemade Dressing

This Easy Cold Spaghetti Salad is one of my favorite things to make in the summer. With garden-fresh veggies and a homemade dressing, it’s a light, refreshing dish that can be served as a side or a main meal. {And for more light summer dishes, check out my recipes for Pennsylvania Dutch Pepper Cabbage, Classic Three Bean Salad, and Italian Green Bean Salad.}

I love a good pasta salad in the summer. When it’s hot outside, I find I crave something lighter. Less cooking and more fresh vegetables. And something like pasta salad, which requires me to just boil some noodles and doesn’t heat up my kitchen too much, fits the bill. I often eat it as a meal, but it’s also delicious as a side with grilled chicken. 

There are many ways to put together a delicious pasta salad and customize it endlessly with all kinds of creative additions. But this cold spaghetti salad is the one on repeat in our house all summer long. The combination of simple fresh ingredients tossed with an easy, homemade zesty Italian dressing makes this one a winner for me.

What ingredients are in Spaghetti Salad?

These are the ingredients I use in my version of cold spaghetti salad:

Spaghetti Noodles – I use regular spaghetti noodles because I find that thin spaghetti doesn’t hold up as well. You can use whole-grain noodles if you prefer.  

Cucumbers – I prefer to use mini cucumbers or English cucumbers because they don’t need to be peeled or seeded. You can use a regular slicing cucumber, but if you do, I think it’s better to peel the cucumber and scrape out the seeds before slicing. 

Tomatoes – I think cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, or Roma tomatoes work best, but any ripe tomato will work. I often use juicy heirloom tomatoes from my garden when I have them. 

Onion – The flavor of a red onion goes well with this salad, but a sweet yellow onion will work, too.

Green Bell Pepper – I love green bell pepper and it’s my first choice for spaghetti salad. If you’re not a fan of green pepper, go ahead and use another color like red or yellow. You can even use a jar of roasted red peppers. 

Olives – Sliced black olives are what I use. Feel free to use Kalamata or green olives if you prefer them. 

Olive Oil – Extra virgin olive oil goes perfectly with spaghetti salad and I recommend using it. But if you don’t have it on hand or don’t like the flavor of olive oil, you can use any salad oil of your choice. 

Vinegar – I love the flavor of red wine vinegar for this homemade dressing. 

Lemon Pepper Seasoning – This is the secret ingredient in the dressing, so I recommend you don’t skip it. It’s one of those all-purpose ingredients that packs a big flavor punch and works in so many different recipes, so I find it’s worth keeping a bottle of it on hand. And please note that you can buy lemon pepper seasoning with or without salt. If using a salt-free seasoning, you’ll need to add extra salt to the dressing. 

Sugar – I use regular granulated sugar because it adds sweetness without changing the flavor. If you stay away from sugar, you can omit it or use an alternative sweetener. 

Other Seasonings – Garlic powder, dry mustard, Italian seasoning blend, ground black pepper, and celery seeds. 

Optional Ingredients – Cubed mozzarella cheese and pepperoni are optional ingredients that can be added if desired. 

Tips for making spaghetti salad:

• Cook the pasta just right. You don’t want it to be under or over-cooked. And when it is cooked to your desired doneness, drain and rinse it thoroughly. I like to add a few ice cubes to the pasta to help cool it down as I rinse it. You want it to be at room temperature when you add the dressing and other ingredients. 
• Chill the salad. You can serve the salad at room temperature. But if time permits, I think chilling the salad for a few hours in the fridge before eating makes it more delicious. 
• Taste and adjust the seasonings before serving. You may need to add extra salt pepper, or other seasonings
• Save your leftovers (if there are any) because the salad is even better the next day. Store in the fridge for 2-3 days. The noodles tend to absorb a lot of the dressing while stored in the fridge. If this happens, revive your salad by tossing it with a few teaspoons of oil and vinegar. 

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So that’s all there is to making this Easy Cold Spaghetti Salad. If you make it, I hope you love it. And don’t forget to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram so you don’t miss a post. 

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