California Spaghetti Salad

marinated pasta salad with vegetables in white mixing bowl on wooden table

California Spaghetti Salad is a guaranteed hit for the summer vegetable lover in your life! This amped up pasta salad is exploding with peak-freshness produce and an irresistible Parmesan dressing.

Prep Time20

Total Time20

Course: Main Course, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Mary Younkin

Ingredients

8 ounces thin spaghetti roughly broken into quarters (about 2 inches long)
2 cups grape tomatoes halved
1 small zucchini diced into ½-inch pieces, about 1 cup
1 small English cucumber diced into ½-inch pieces, about 1½ cups
1 medium red bell pepper diced into ½-inch pieces, about 1 cup
1 medium yellow bell pepper diced into ½-inch pieces, about 1 cup
1 medium red onion sliced very thin and roughly chopped, about 1 cup
2.5 ounces sliced black olives drained
¼ cup fresh Italian parsley chopped small
12 fresh basil leaves thinly sliced OPTIONAL

Pasta Salad Dressing:

16 ounces Italian salad dressing OR 2 cups homemade salad dressing
¼ cup Parmesan cheese grated
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon smoked or plain paprika
½ teaspoon celery seeds
kosher salt ONLY as needed
freshly ground black pepper ONLY as needed

Instructions

Break the pasta into 2-inch pieces and cook according to package instructions until al dente, taking care not to overcook. Rinse well under cold water, to halt the cooking process. Drain and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the pasta salad dressing ingredients: Italian salad dressing, Parmesan, sesame seeds, paprika, and celery seeds. Add the cooled pasta and toss well to coat.
Add the tomatoes, zucchini, cucumber, bell peppers, onion, olives, parsley, and basil to the bowl with the pasta. Toss well to mix throughout. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Nutrition