Description

This Summer Italian Spaghetti Salad is a refreshing and delightful cold pasta dish perfect for warm-weather gatherings. Combining al dente spaghetti with fresh cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, olives, salami, and mozzarella, tossed in a zesty Italian dressing, this salad is flavorful, colorful, and easy to prepare. It’s ideal as a picnic side or a light meal, and can be made vegetarian by omitting the salami.

Ingredients

Scale

Pasta

12 oz spaghetti, broken in half

Vegetables & Fruits

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup cucumber, sliced and halved
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup black olives, sliced

Proteins & Cheese

1/2 cup salami, diced
1/2 cup mozzarella pearls or cubed mozzarella
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Herbs & Dressing

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3/4 cup Italian dressing (store-bought or homemade)
Salt and black pepper to taste

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Instructions

Cook the Spaghetti: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broken spaghetti and cook according to package directions until al dente, usually about 8-10 minutes. Drain the pasta and rinse under cold running water to cool completely and stop further cooking.
Prepare the Vegetables and Meats: While the pasta is cooling, halve the cherry tomatoes, slice and halve the cucumber, dice the red bell pepper, thinly slice the red onion, slice the black olives, and dice the salami.
Combine Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add the cooled spaghetti, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, black olives, diced salami, mozzarella pearls or cubes, grated Parmesan cheese, and chopped fresh parsley.
Add Dressing and Toss: Pour the Italian dressing over the combined ingredients. Toss gently but thoroughly to ensure every piece is evenly coated with dressing.
Season and Chill: Season the salad with salt and freshly ground black pepper according to your taste preferences. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
Serve: Serve the spaghetti salad chilled or at room temperature as a refreshing side dish or light main course during warm weather.

Notes

For a vegetarian version, simply omit the salami.
You can substitute spaghetti with any short pasta like rotini, penne, or fusilli if preferred.
This salad tastes even better the next day as the flavors fuse together in the fridge.