Easy Cold Spaghetti Salad with Homemade Dressing

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 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 on hand. 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 avoid 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.