Spaghetti noodles … in pasta salad? OK, so if you’ve read any of my other pasta salad tips, you’ll know I’m about to eat humble pie! I’ve spent some recent days advising against long noodles like spaghetti in cold pasta salad recipes. But I’ll be the first to admit when I’m wrong, and using long noodles in a California spaghetti salad recipe just works. I’m not sure this dish would be as fun if it used a short, shaped noodle.
This recipe is an amazing change of pace from the mayonnaise-laden pasta salads on the potluck table. And it’s not just the way it looks: The textures in this salad are what make it really special. It contains nearly as many vegetables as it does pasta noodles! The tomatoes are meaty and juicy, and the cucumbers, onions and bell peppers offer a bright, crisp contrast. Meanwhile, the zucchini softens as it marinates, offering a creamy bite that complements the tender spaghetti.
Those textures combine with the incredible flavors of salty olives, nutty sesame seeds and zesty Italian dressing to create a salad that offers a little bit of everything. Just don’t plan on having leftovers because this garden-fresh pasta salad is so tasty that it’s bound to disappear fast.
Ingredients for California Spaghetti Salad
- Thin spaghetti: Break the spaghetti into 1-inch pieces to help it cook more quickly. The noodles are also much easier to eat when broken into bite-sized pieces.
- Garden-fresh vegetables: This California spaghetti pasta salad is a great way to showcase garden-fresh veggies like tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, green and red peppers, and red onions. If you’re worried about the onion adding a pungent bite, you can soak it in cold water for about 10 minutes to tone down its potency.
- Olives: Canned olives are unarguably convenient because they’re already sliced. If you don’t mind pitting and slicing olives, feel free to substitute another type of olive, like buttery castelvetranos or bold kalamatas.
- California pasta salad dressing: Prep a semi-homemade dressing made with a store-bought bottle of Italian salad dressing, or go the fully from-scratch route with homemade Italian dressing. Either way, you’ll finish the dressing with Parmesan cheese, nutty sesame and poppy seeds, smoky paprika, earthy celery seeds and savory garlic powder.
Directions
Step 1: Cook the pasta
Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and rinse in cold water.
Editor’s Tip: Remember to season the pasta water with salt. Otherwise, the noodles will taste bland and flat. Then, make sure to rinse the noodles to remove all the pasta’s excess starches, which can cling to the dressing and create a gummy texture.
Step 2: Assemble the spaghetti mixture
Transfer the pasta to a large bowl. Add the tomatoes, zucchini, cucumber, green and red peppers, onion and olives.
Step 3: Make the dressing
In another bowl, whisk the Italian dressing, Parmesan, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, paprika, celery seeds and garlic powder.
Step 4: Combine and chill the salad
Drizzle the dressing over the spaghetti mixture and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate the salad overnight. Serve the salad with a slotted spoon to allow the dressing to drain back into the bowl.
Recipe Variations
- Make it vegan: To make a vegan version of California spaghetti pasta salad, skip the Parmesan cheese and make sure your Italian salad dressing contains all plant-based ingredients.
- Add meat: Turn this California spaghetti salad recipe into a main meal by adding leftover or rotisserie chicken, sliced pepperoni or salami, diced ham, canned tuna or smoked salmon.
- Change the veggies: Use cherry tomatoes instead of whole tomatoes or different-colored bell peppers. You can also mix and match other veggies like peas, corn, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, spinach and mushrooms.
- Include a creamy element: Just before serving, stir in some crumbled feta, fresh or marinated mozzarella, a few dollops of creamy goat cheese or diced avocado.
How to Store California Spaghetti Salad
Store leftover California spaghetti pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. After a day or two, the salad may look a little dry as the pasta absorbs the dressing. Just before serving the leftovers, revive the salad’s original consistency by tossing it with extra Italian dressing (or a splash of olive oil or water if you don’t have extra dressing on hand).
Can you make California spaghetti salad ahead of time?
As with most cold pasta salad recipes, we recommend making this pasta salad a day ahead of time. Chilling the salad in the fridge overnight allows the veggies time to marinate and gives the noodles time to soak in the dressing. The salad will taste more seasoned and cohesive if made in advance.
California Spaghetti Salad Tips
What other types of pasta would work in this California spaghetti pasta salad?
Instead of spaghetti, use another type of long pasta like angel hair, linguine or bucatini. Make sure to break the pasta into 1-inch pieces before cooking it so it’s easy to eat. Although it won’t have quite the same look and feel, you could swap in a short-shaped pasta like elbow macaroni, farfalle, spiral-shaped rotelli or twisty cavatappi. Just make sure to adjust the cooking time and cook the pasta to al dente to prevent it from soaking in too much of the dressing.
Do you eat California spaghetti salad warm or cold?
This California spaghetti salad recipe is intended to be enjoyed cold. The spaghetti will have the firmest texture straight out of the fridge, so try to keep it chilled until the very last minute.
