Summer Italian Spaghetti Salad Recipe
Light and fresh, enjoy this cold spaghetti salad. Summer Italian Spaghetti Salad Recipe is a spaghetti salad with fresh veggies and Italian dressing. We love how easy this spaghetti salad recipe is to prepare in advance, and chill in the fridge. The longer it sits, it is a hearty, flavorful side dish or entree that’s perfect for a crowd. A must make for summer!
Using your favorite pasta and Parmesan cheese, add either salami or pepperoni for this cold, Summer Italian Spaghetti Salad Recipe. So light, fresh, and made with fresh garden veggies–it’s the best in the summertime.
Summer Italian Spaghetti Salad Recipe
I sometimes use DeLallo’s Italian dressing–the flavor is so amazing. But you can buy your favorite dressing (or make it). You can even add the dressing right before serving.
Read more: Summer Italian Spaghetti Salad Recipe
Why I love this recipe
- This salad is great for any potluck or summer party.
- Make homemade Italian dressing, or optional to buy store-bought, when you’re in a pinch for time!
- It’s full of flavor and everyone loves it.
Gather these ingredients:
- Thin spaghetti pasta
- Cherry tomatoes
- Cucumber
- Salami slices (or pepperoni, or both)
- Green pepper
- Red onion
- Black olives
- Italian salad dressing, OR MAKE YOUR OWN (recipe below)
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Paprika
- Salt & pepper to taste
Homemade Italian Dressing
Optional to make your own Italian dressing. Here are the ingredients:
- Red wine vinegar
- Dried basil and oregano
- Lemon juice
- Garlic
- Parmesan cheese
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
How do you make Summer Spaghetti Salad?
For the best flavor, it’s optional to make this salad the night before!
- Cook spaghetti according to package directions, usually 1 minute less in time (el dente); drain and rinse. Add a drizzle of olive oil so pasta does not stick together. Refrigerate until cool.
- Place in a large bowl; add tomatoes, cucumber, salami, pepper, red onion, and olives.
- Combine remaining ingredients; pour over salad and toss to coat. Add the Parmesan cheese; gently stir together. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours; serve!
How do you serve spaghetti salad?
Pairing well with any barbecue, this cold spaghetti salad is perfect to serve with this pepperoncini steak. Serve also with Best Grilled Chicken Thighs (so good).
Tips and substitutions:
- Here’s what I love about summer cooking: COOK EXTRA. Double the recipe for any party!
- Eating at home on a regular basis doesn’t mean you need to cook every night, too. So leftovers are great!
- Change up the pasta with your favorite (you don’t have to use spaghetti noodles).
- You can make a homemade dressing or buy store bought. What’s your favorite brand?
- Cook in salted water (no oil), and rinse and cool!
- Super yummy served as leftovers!
- If you add the dressing right you mix all the ingredients, the flavor gets better and better each day.
- Optional to add one cup of chunky salami and one of pepperoni.
- Use twice the amount of green olives instead of black – give it a try!
- Add sweet onions instead of red.
- For summer add fresh corn – delish!
- Swap out the Parmesan cheese for a cup of cubed pepper jack for more pizzaz.
- Some readers have used Paul Newman’s Family Italian Dressing.
More summer salads you may want to try:
- Potluck Spaghetti Tuna Salad Recipe
- Easy Italian Pasta Salad Recipe
- Easy Pad Thai Salad
- BEST Potato Salad
- Avocado Pasta Salad
- Cowboy Pasta Salad
Get the Recipe:
Summer Italian Spaghetti Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 16 oz pkg thin spaghetti, halved
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup cucumber, diced
- 1 cup Salami slices (or pepperoni, or both), cut into small pieces
- 1 medium green pepper, diced
- ½ small red onion, diced
- ½ cup black olives, drained, thinly sliced
- 1 bottle Italian salad dressing, OR MAKE YOUR OWN (recipe below)
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- Salt & pepper to taste
Homemade Italian Dressing
- 1 ½ cups Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 3 TBSP red wine vinegar
- 1 TBSP dried oregano
- 1 ½ teaspoon dried basil
- 1 TBSP fresh squeezed lemon, plus more to taste
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 TBSP Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook spaghetti according to package directions, usually 1 minute less in time (el dente); drain and rinse. Add a drizzle of olive oil so pasta does not stick together. Refrigerate until cool.
- Place in a large bowl; add tomatoes, cucumber, salami, pepper, red onion, and olives.
- Combine remaining ingredients; pour over salad and toss to coat. Add the Parmesan cheese; gently stir together. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours; serve!
Notes
We love these clear glass serving / mixing bowls!
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I made this to go along with our New Year’s dinner. I used little Smokey sausages and added cubed cheese, feta cheese, and substituted green onions for the red onions. It was a big hit! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Hi, I’m a little confused. Here is what you posted:
“The secret to pasta is you do not rinse it. My mom always rinsed pasta; did yours?
Cook in salted water (no oil), and rinse.”
So on the first line you say not to rinse, but on the second line, you say to rinse.
Which is correct?
Rinse, drain, and cool!
ABSOLUTELY MARVELOUS RECIPE! I CAN’T WAIT TO TRY IT!
It’s at great Italian salad. I’m a single guy that loves to cook. The problem is with some foods I cook way to much for one person. This is not only good the first time around but is still delicious two or three days. Love it.
How many people does this serve? It says Yield 2 hours 30 minutes
8-10 :)
Loved it ,made it for my sister’s birthday party..but I used a different salad dressing I used a Raspberry vinaigrette dressing instead..it was really good.
I have never had it with raspberry vinegarette. That sounds interesting. I like vinegarette so much better
Just made it. Tastes great. I used all the original ingredients and hubby ate it like it was health food.
Absolutely delicious! Where to find the salad dressing?
It’s so good! Use your favorite Italian dressing. We prefer DeLallo but not every store carries it :)
When do I add the salad dressing?
Right before serving!
I’ve been making this for years & my family loves it….my children especially LOVE it!!! When taking to an adult dinner I switch it up & use mini farfalle….as always it’s a hit! The ingredient options with this are endless & never a fail!
Can you use cooked spaghetti squash in place of the pasta?
I’ve never tried it in this recipe, Laura. Let me know if it worked for you! :)
My friend introduced this receipe to me over 25 yrs ago. Glad it’s still so popular . My problem as we have aged my friends don’t like two of the main flavor ingredients. Bell pepper and onions due to stomach problems. Any suggestions? Thank you, Kathy Rees
Sure, leave out and add artichoke hearts or pepperoncini.
I would like a copy of your summer Italin spaghetti salad recipe. I am having trouble printing from my Kinle. So if you would be so kind to email it to me i can get it there way. Thank you!
Can a different salad dressing be used? I can’t find it in my area
Yes, any Italian dressing!
This is a wonderful recipe! I have not had it with spaghetti yet but we have had it with tortellini. Everything else serve the same. Delicious! Will definitely try it with spaghetti :-) thank you The Reneegrchali@aol.com
Excellent recipe…Made it many times and had many compliments. I use Ken’s Steak House Italian Dressing.
This is such a cool recipe! I love Italian food, so this would be really cool to try. I really like the idea of making a pasta salad with spaghetti. It is probably a really great dish for the summer! I will have to give it a try.
Can this be refrigerated over night and still be good?
Yes! But add the dressing before serving!
This salad is so good. I also add summer sausage, pepperoni, quite a few different things and always good. It’s one of those try it you’ll like it.
Help, I must be slow. Does this recipe call for 8 oz. of spaghetti or 16 oz of spaghetti broken in half? It looks delicious and would like to make it for a lunch with friends this week.
Thanks!
16 oz. then break in half :)
Made this for my son’s birthday party on Saturday and everyone love it. I did not add salami and it tasted great. I will definitely use Italian spaghetti salad receipt again!!
Is there any substitute for the salami? Just don’t care for that, all other sounds great! Thanks
Hi there, you could add bacon, or just leave it out? Still delish!
Pepperoni.
Add pepperoni slices instead of the salami! Delicious!
Pepperoni, chicken, turkey pepperoni… Any of these
This looks good! Got any nutritional info?
Am looking for the DeLallo brand salad dressing and found two types Sweet Italian and Classic Italian. Does it matter which one is used in this recipe. Never heard of Sweet Italian salad dressing.
I think either would be great flavor, Jean!
Love a good pasta salad…I never thought of using Spaghetti. I love that plaque too. Last saturday my hubby and I were invited to a co-workers house for dinner. It was one of those nights where the food was drawn out and we just visited instead of feeling rushed. we ended up staying about 4 hours. It was nice to get to know them better.