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California Pasta Salad Recipe

California Pasta Salad Recipe photo by Taste of Home

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Californians are fond of cookouts. This salad travels well to picnics, the beach or potluck suppers. Not only that...people love it when it gets there!

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California Pasta Salad Recipe

Prep: 15 min. + chilling

Yield: 10-15 Servings

15 15

Ingredients

1 pound thin spaghetti, broken into 1-inch pieces
3 large tomatoes, diced
2 medium zucchini, diced
1 large cucumber, diced
1 medium green pepper, diced
1 sweet red pepper, diced
1 large red onion, diced
2 cans (2-1/4 ounces each) sliced ripe olives, drained
DRESSING:
1 bottle (16 ounces) Olive Garden Signature Italian Dressing

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Light & Creamy Italian Dressing

The salad dressing you love at Olive Garden is now available to use at home on salads, sandwiches, veggies and more!

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1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions; Drain and rinse in cold water. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the vegetables and olives.
In a large bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients. Drizzle over spaghetti mixture; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve with a slotted spoon. Yield: 10-15 servings.

Nutritional Facts 1 serving (3/4 cup) equals 257 calories, 13 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 1 mg cholesterol, 567 mg sodium, 30 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 6 g protein.

Originally published as California Pasta Salad in Country Extra September 1992, p47

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Reviews for California Pasta Salad

California Pasta Salad

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Reviewed on Jun. 28, 2011 by tiger976

I made this around 7 hours ago, couldn't wait until tomorrow to give it the taste test. Very good and will make this again, even though I forgot to add the tomatoes. I only used 1/2 of a huge red onion and 1 can of olives, major blunder. Should have followed the recipe. At this time the only thing that lacks is salt. Next time I make this I might try garlic salt instead of garlic powder. Thanks for sharing.

Reviewed on Sep. 28, 2010 by Jinker1

This is the only pasta salad I make because it is always a hit wherever I take it. I always use Ken's Italian dressing with romano cheese and I think that is why it is so good. I sprinkle additional shredded parmesan cheese over the top before serving.

Reviewed on Feb. 03, 2010 by daisey5

The only change I made was to use fat free dressing to make it a little healthier. It was super good!!

Reviewed on Oct. 05, 2009 by cwbuff

This is a great salad! After cooking and draining the pasta, toss it with 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. I added leftover ham for a great main dish salad, although I think it looks and tastes better if you serve it right away, not the next day. Served right away, it looks really appetizing!

Reviewed on Aug. 18, 2008 by lisa53202

I made this for a gathering this past weekend, and a lot of people commented on how good it was.

Reviewed on Jan. 04, 2008 by FriedaG

This is my family's favorite pasta salad. No matter how many times I make it, it always goes fast and soon someone asks me: "When are you going to fix that California Pasta Salad again?"