Spaghetti Salad

Italian Spaghetti Salad Ingredients

A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

Spaghetti: Use regular dried spaghetti and stop cooking when it reaches al dente with a little chew. When I cooked it slightly beyond al dente, I found it softened a bit more during the 2-hour chill and was a bit mushy, so stop cooking at al dente and rinse with cold water to stop it cooking further.
Italian dressing: A full 16-ounce bottle may sound like a lot. I thought it was too, but was surprised to discover how much of it the noodles absorb in the refrigerator!
Cherry tomatoes: Halving them makes the tomatoes easier to spear on your fork when twirling the long noodles.
English cucumber and red bell pepper: These are the crunchiest ingredients in the salad. Slice them thin enough to pick up easily with the spaghetti.
Red onion: Thin slices have a sharp flavor that survives the 2-hour chill.
Black olives and Parmesan: Both are salty, so I like to taste the finished salad before adding extra seasoning. I added a little black pepper to mine but found the salt level was enough.
Garlic powder: It disappears easily into the bottled dressing and seasons the pasta evenly.

How to Make Spaghetti Pasta Salad

For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.

Cook the spaghetti: Boil it in well-salted water according to the package directions, and stop cooking when the noodles are al dente.
Cool the pasta: Drain thoroughly and rinse briefly under cool water. Let the excess water run off before mixing.
Prepare the vegetables: Halve the tomatoes. Slice the cucumber, bell pepper and red onion.
Dress the salad: Gently toss the cooled spaghetti with the vegetables, olives, garlic powder, Parmesan and the full bottle of Italian dressing in a large bowl.
Chill: Cover the salad and refrigerate until the noodles have absorbed the dressing.

Substitutions and Variations

Dressing: Choose zesty Italian, house Italian or Olive Garden Italian dressing.
Pasta shape: Swap the spaghetti for bowtie, penne or rotini if you want shorter pieces.
Add-ins: Try pickled banana peppers or pepperoncini for heat, or add salami, artichoke hearts, pepperoni, cubed cheddar cheese or marinated mozzarella balls for a heartier salad.
Garnish the salad: Garnish with fresh chopped basil leaves or parsley before serving.

Serving Suggestions

Cookout or potluck dish: This is the kind of dish that always disappears fast at a cookout, potluck or picnic! Serve it cold with cowboy burgers, hot dogs, air fryer BBQ ribs or popcorn chicken.
With other salads: A scoop of this spaghetti salad pairs well with mixed greens, corn on the cob, shaved Brussels sprouts slaw or something contrasting such as lime honey fruit salad. 
As a side dish: It’s also good with steak sandwiches, pulled pork or garlic bread.

How to Store

Store: Cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The pasta will continue to absorb the dressing as it sits. Drizzle with more dressing before serving and add more salt and/or pepper if needed.
Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing spaghetti salad. The dressing will separate and the vegetables will be soggy when you thaw it.