Cold Spaghetti Salad

An easy recipe that’s perfect for warm Summer days, this cold spaghetti salad features plenty of veggies and tender salami tossed with chilled pasta in a zesty Italian dressing. This summer spaghetti recipe’s light & refreshing making it perfect for lunch or dinner. Pack it for picnics or take it to the next barbecue, because this dish fits any occasion!

Who knew the hardest part of being an adult was figuring out what to make for dinner every single night?

Especially in the Summer when it’s hot out, and I’m hot and not remotely hungry.

Of course, everyone else in the family is and the sons have to eat- so, I have to get creative.

While I could serve them a cold bowl of cereal or sandwiches and call it a day, I’d rather find a nutritious alternative that’s just as easy and doesn’t pack any (or require much) heat.

That’s when spaghetti noodles are my go to.

In the colder months, we serve them warm slathered in a robust sauce and in the Summer I turn them into a delicious pasta salad that’s served cold.

Chock full of veggies, a little meat, and tossed in a zest Italian salad dressing our cold spaghetti salad is a refreshing meal that works for lunch or dinner.

It can feed my hungry family, and also works for serving a crowd, making it perfect for both picnics and potlucks.

Ingredients Needed

Luckily, you don’t need many ingredients to whip this Italian style spaghetti salad together.

Several of them are seasonal, and will also allow you to take advantage of better ‘in season’ prices.

You’ll need:

• Pasta – You’ll need uncooked spaghetti pasta for this recipe. I like to leave ours whole, but you can break them in half before cooking if preferred.
• Salami – You can use whatever brand/kind you enjoy.
• Zucchini – Look for one that’s about 7-8″ long for the perfect size. One’s bigger than this tend to be full of water and overly seedy.
• Bell Pepper – I used a yellow bell pepper to compliment the other colors in the dish, but orange or red will also work too.
• Tomatoes – Roma tomatoes are recommended for their meatier texture with less seeds and pulp, but you can use any variety. You just need more of them to get 1 1/2 cups diced tomato after removing all the seeds & pulp.
• Cucumber – A garden fresh one is perfect. If store-bought, look for an English cucumber- they have less seeds and more flavor than other varieties.
• Onion – A red onion, peeled and diced.
• Olives – Thinly sliced black olives- the canned kind work just fine, but make sure to drain them before using.
• Italian Dressing – Use whatever brand you know and like since this flavor will shine through.

How To Make Cold Spaghetti Salad

Throwing together this summer spaghetti salad recipe requires minimal effort, making it a great option for busy evenings or last minute meals.

To start bring a large pot of water to a boil. Make sure to salt your water- think ‘salty like the sea’.

Once the water reaches a boil, add the pasta and cook according to the directions on the package just until it’s ‘al dente’. Pay attention to the time recommended because you don’t want overcooked pasta.

Transfer the cooked pasta to a colander that’s waiting in the sink.

Drain the pasta and run cold water over it, stirring, until all the pasta has cooled to the touch. This stops the cooking process and will keep the pasta from becoming soggy.

Let any excess water drain away, and then transfer the cooled pasta to a large mixing bowl.

Add all of the chopped veggies & meat to the mixing bowl, and toss them together with the pasta until evenly combined.

I’ve found tongs are the best thing to use for this. The cooked spaghetti noodles tend to just slip around a spoon or spatula, not really mixing with anything and you want all of the ingredients dispersed evenly.

Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture, and toss gently until everything’s nice and evenly coated.

At this point, you’re ready to serve and enjoy!

How To Store

In the event you have leftovers, transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate.

Leftovers will keep for 3-4 days, although the pasta will absorb more of the dressing the longer it sits.

We’ve found it’s best to enjoy the leftovers within two days.

Can This Be Made Ahead Of Time?

Yes! I don’t like to mix everything together until just before serving, but I prepare everything often the night before or morning of the day I need it. This is especially true if I’m making it for a barbecue or to take to a party.

You can store the cooked and cooled pasta in the mixing bowl you plan on using, covered.

All the prepped veggies can be stored together in an airtight container. Don’t store them with the pasta for the crispest results.

When you’re ready to serve, just mix everything together as instructed. Your pasta salad will be chilled and delicious.

Can I Make This Spaghetti Salad Recipe Creamy?

One of the reasons we love this dish so much is because it’s a delicious change from the mayo heavy pasta salads that tend to be everywhere in the South in Summer.

If you prefer your salads on the creamier side though, you can easily doctor this up to fit the bill.

Before adding the dressing to the spaghetti salad, add it to a small mixing bowl.

Add in 2-3 tablespoons of mayonnaise and whisk to evenly combine- then add it into the recipe as instructed.

What Do I Do If My Pasta Salad Is Too Dry?

Pasta absorbs liquid the longer it sits, whether it’s leftovers or even while it sits out while guests eat before returning for seconds.

It’s not entirely a bad thing since it really gets those flavors into every bite of pasta, but not great if your zesty salad goes dry.

If you notice your spaghetti salad isn’t as saucy as you want it to be, simple pour in some extra dressing and toss again to evenly combine.

TIPS & TRICKS

• Don’t forget to cook your pasta to the ‘al dente’ instructions on the package, and strain & run under cold water right away to stop it cooking. Mushy over-cooked pasta will ruin this recipe.
• Have all of your veggies & meat prepped ahead of time to make throwing this together quick & easy.
• Want to add a little something extra to this dish? Stir in some freshly grated (yes, freshly grated!) Parmesan cheese.
• Not a fan of salami? You could swap it out for chopped rotisserie chicken or pepperoni.
• Spaghetti salad will slide right off a spoon. Serve this salad with forks instead, and twirl it up just like you would with a warm plate of pasta.

Other Cold Pasta Salad Recipes To Try

A quick and easy recipe, this cold spaghetti salad is one of my must haves when the family needs to be fed on hot Summer nights.

It’s refreshing, but filling and makes a tasty lunch or dinner that’s full of seasonal veggies. A spaghetti dinner that’s a win for the whole family!

The naturally pretty presentation of it’s ingredients makes it the perfect thing to take to Summer barbecues or to pack in the Sunday picnic basket.

Looking for other cold pasta salad recipes? Try one of these:

• Hawaiian Pasta Salad
• Tuna Macaroni Salad
• Creamy Poppy Seed Pasta Salad with Grapes
• Three Bean Pasta Salad

If you’ve tried this COLD SPAGHETTI SALAD RECIPE, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!