Spaghetti Salad Recipe

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Published: June 2, 2021Updated: June 17, 2021Author: Camille Beckstrand
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Our famous Spaghetti Salad is the PERFECT dish to bring to a pot luck dinner. This classic pasta salad is one of our most popular and requested recipes.
Spaghetti Salad Recipe

Our Classic Spaghetti Salad is our #1 potluck dish!

You can also make the pasta salad up a day ahead of time if you need to and it will turn out perfectly fine, not to mention it allows those flavors to develop even more! 

Be sure to check out our other favorite salad recipes:

Classic summer spaghetti salad ingredients:

Easy ingredients for cold pasta salad:

  1. Thin spaghetti noodles
  2. Roma tomatoes
  3. Zucchini
  4. Yellow zucchini squash
  5. Green bell pepper
  6. Red bell pepper
  7. Red onion
  8. Cucumber
  9. Sliced olives
  10. Block cheddar cheese
  11. Italian dressing (one like THIS)
  12. Grated parmesan cheese
  13. Paprika
  14. Garlic powder
  15. Salad supreme (Like THIS kind or can be found at a grocery store too!)
pasta salad with vegetables served in bowls

You will need these items for this favorite family recipe:

  • Large pot
  • Strainer
  • Knife 
  • Cutting board
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Small mixing bowl
  • Tongs

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Follow these instructions to make the BEST Potluck side dish!

To start, cook the spaghetti according to the directions on the package.

When the pasta is done cooking, drain it, then rinse it in cold water. This will stop the cooking process of the noodles. 

Then, dice up the Roma tomatoes, zucchini, yellow zucchini squash, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, red onion, and cucumber. 

ingredient needed for spaghetti pasta salad

When it is all cut up, place the veggies in a large mixing bowl.

Once the noodles are cooled, move them to the bowl with the chopped up vegetables and mix them together well. 

Next, in a small bowl, mix together the Italian salad dressing, grated parmesan cheese, paprika, and the garlic powder until everything is well combined. 

homemade dressing poured on pasta and vegetables for salad

After it is mixed, pour the Italian dressing mixture over top of the spaghetti and vegetables and mix it all together. 

Then, sprinkle the salad supreme spice over top, cover the bowl and let the pasta salad sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving it. 

P.S. The longer it sits during the day the better it is! Those flavors will begin to meld together and taste even more AMAZING!

Wondering what to serve with this pasta salad?
Here are some delicious Six Sisters’ Stuff recipes:

Fall off the Bone BBQ Ribs
Grilled Huli Huli Chicken
Grilled Lemon Chicken

More ways to make a pasta salad!

Our YouTube Channel is packed with lots of great recipes that you and your family will love! Even those tricky picky eaters. Plus we make the recipes easy to follow since we start each one and go through from start to finish. 

vegetables ready to be mixed with cooked pasta

How to cook the pasta for Spaghetti Salad:

  • People like their pasta cooked differently. For me, I like it just a little firm so it won’t turn to mush when you mix it. You have to remember that when cooking the pasta, it is angel hair, so it cooks pretty fast! Watch it and make sure it isn’t too over done!
  • Make sure when cooking pasta, you season it with salt. Not only does it make it boil faster, it makes your pasta taste delicious!
  • Also add 3 Tablespoons of olive oil as your water is boiling. This will make the pasta not stick together. No one likes big chunks of pasta.
  • Wait until you have a nice boil before adding your pasta! That will make sure the oil is spread around the water so it will spread evenly around the noodles.
spaghetti pasta salad ready to serve in glass serving bowl

Similar recipes to our Spaghetti Salad to make and love:

Serves: 15 people

Spaghetti Salad Recipe

A perfect simple and delicious side dish, full of veggies, and flavor. This is definielty a family favorite and perfect for a crowd.
Prep Time 2 hrs 20 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 2 hrs 30 mins
Print Pin

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces spaghetti noodles
  • 3 Roma tomatoes
  • 1 zucchini squash
  • 1 yellow zucchini squash
  • 1 green bell pepper
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 red onion
  • 1 cucumber
  • 5.5 ounces sliced olives
  • 8 ounces cheddar cheese cut into small cubes

Dressing

  • 16 ounces Italian dressing
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Topping

  • 1 teaspoon Salad Supreme Seasoning

Instructions

  • Cook spaghetti according to package directions, then rinse in cold water and drain. Set aside and let cool.
  • Place tomatoes, zucchini, squash, peppers, onion, cucumber, olives, and cheese in a large bowl.
  • Add cooled spaghetti noodles and mix well.
  • In a small bowl, mix together the salad dressing, Parmesan cheese, paprika, and garlic powder.
  • Pour on top of the spaghetti and vegetables and mix until combined.
  • Sprinkle the top with Salad Supreme.
  • Let sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving (this salad gets better with time, as the flavors meld together).

Video

Notes

  • You can make this pasta salad up a day ahead of time if you need to and it will turn out perfectly fine, not to mention it allows those flavors to develop even more!

Equipment

  • large pot
  • strainer
  • Knife
  • Cutting Board
  • Large Mixing Bowl
  • Small Mixing Bowl
  • Tongs

Recipe Details

Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American

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If you made our recipe be sure to tag us on Instagram so we can see your hard work using #sixsistersstuff. 

spaghetti salad in glass bowl with homemade dressing

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  1. helen boylan says:
    September 11, 2014
    I have been making this for years without the cheese and I use . Trio Italiano pasta instead of spaghetti
    Reply
  2. Camille says:
    September 11, 2014
    I think that it would work great! The flavor is amazing and I think that it would still taste delicious!
    Reply
  3. Beth Blackburn says:
    September 12, 2014
    I love this salad. I also make it using spaghetti squash instead of pasta. It uses much less Italian dressing and it's gluten free.
    Reply
  4. Tess says:
    September 14, 2014
    Try shredded up cooked zucchini instead of pasta all together
    Reply
  5. Janet Holliday says:
    September 18, 2014
    I made this today and it's outstanding! I used a dry mix and made my Zesty Italian salad dressing instead. It made so much I tried 3 of my biggest bowls and still had trouble tossing it.....love love love this recipe. Thank you very much!!!
    Reply
  6. Lovada Timothy says:
    September 25, 2014
    I made this a few nights ago and it is outstanding. Only thing I did was to leave the zucchini and yellow squash out cause we really don't care for them. Also, when I first made it I didn't have the Salad Supreme but it was still great. Then the next day I went and got the Salad Supreme and it was great with it also. I also think that the Robusto Italian Wishbone dressing made it extra tasty instead of just regular Italian dressing. Try this, you won't be disappointed. :)
    Reply
  7. Ging says:
    January 8, 2015
    Can this be served warm as a main dish for picky eaters that don't like having salad type foods for dinner? I can't wait to try it. It looks so good. Thank you for all the recipes. I have loved all of them i've tried.
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      January 9, 2015
      I'm sure it will be fine served warm. We have only eaten it cold. But whatever it takes to please those picky eaters!! :)
      Reply
  8. Karen says:
    March 10, 2015
    Does anyone have nutritional info for this?? I am on a very limited diet, and having that would let me know if I Can eat this. anyone? Please advise :)
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      March 10, 2015
      Hi Karen. Just click on the MAGIC button under the picture on the post, then click on NUTRITION. It will give you all of the nutritional info and calories for this recipe. All of our recipes have a MAGIC button. Hope this helps!!
      Reply
    • Janice says:
      April 22, 2020
      WHAT BUTTON is the MAGIC BUTTON to SEE the NUTRITIONAL INFO... nothing's labeled "MAGIC BUTTON"... Pretty sure I tried them all... can't find the MAGIC!! Js.
      Reply
      • Cyd says:
        April 24, 2020
        Hi Janice. You'll see that Karen's comment was from 2015. We lost all of our Magic Buttons a few years ago when we updated our website. A lot of the nutritional info for our recipes is on Myrecipemagic.com. Here is the link for the Spaghetti Salad Recipe - It's where the MAGIC button would have directed you. https://www.myrecipemagic.com/spaghetti-salad-recipe-2501560793.html
        Reply
      • Valeeie says:
        June 25, 2020
        Do you peel the zuchinni, yellow squash and cucumber for the salad?
        Reply
  9. Jordan says:
    March 11, 2015
    Hi, I was wondering how far in advance this could be made? It looks delicious:)
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      March 11, 2015
      You can make it a day ahead and it will be fine!
      Reply
  10. shelia pittman says:
    March 16, 2015
    Love this pasta salad.
    Reply
  11. Lerin says:
    April 14, 2015
    Is it necessary to cook the veggies at all before tossing with the pasta?
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      April 20, 2015
      No need to cook the vegetables in the recipe. Just cook the pasta.
      Reply
  12. dc says:
    May 4, 2015
    Love this old school recipe...been making it for years! Change the veggies up depending on what's in the frig or who is in the crowd!
    Reply
  13. Suzy says:
    May 4, 2015
    I make this with gluten free pasta and it is so good! Thanks so much for the direction to the magic button for nutrition information!!! My daughter is diabetic and I will be checking out all of the recipes on your site for sure now that I can get the carb counts. Thanks a bunch!!
    Reply
  14. Sue says:
    May 4, 2015
    When I try to copy your recipes for my personal use, I get a message that they are copyrighted and to watch something, but all I ever get is a black square.
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      May 6, 2015
      Hi Sue, sometimes click on the black square and then exit out of the tab on top then it will let you copy and paste. Sorry, the ad had been having some problems lately and we are trying to get that fixed. You can also click on the print friendly button under the picture.
      Reply
  15. Kathi says:
    July 29, 2015
    I always thought this was a my family thing! People always think I'm nuts when I say Spaghetti Salad! I even use the same Wishbone Robusto when I made it, its just not the same otherwise
    Reply
  16. Sherry says:
    November 9, 2015
    I like to add mini pepperonis to it.
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      November 9, 2015
      Mmmmmm! That sounds good.
      Reply
    • Janelle says:
      August 26, 2018
      Would basil be good in this salad?
      Reply
  17. scott says:
    December 3, 2015
    i've been making this for years, but i don't use zucchini, olives and all the cheese(though i have used cheese in my personal serving). i do use baby carrots that i use a small blender to turn into bits, bacon, pepper flakes and chicken breast diced, along with wheat noodles. for my personal serving i add soy and sriracha sauce, it's really good.
    Reply
  18. Nancy W says:
    April 16, 2016
    I've been making this for over 30 years, and it really tastes wonderful with cubed/sliced pepperoni or salami too. Thanks for reminding me of this wonderful oldie goldie of a recipe for summer coming!
    Reply
  19. Jessica Dean says:
    July 6, 2016
    This pasta salad turned out amazing! I loved that I had most of the veggies at home from my garden and I was trying to find a recipe to use them in and this one looked delicious. I didn't add onion or olives since I don't care for them and I was skeptical to add the zucchini and squash uncooked but it tasted great! I will definitely be making this again real soon!!!!
    Reply
  20. Wendy says:
    August 8, 2016
    Hi there. This looks yummy. I need a side dish for 60 and this would be perfect. How many of these recipes would you suggest I make for 60?
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      August 10, 2016
      This recipe feeds about 15 people. So you would need to make it about 4 times!
      Reply
  21. Charlotte Foringer says:
    November 20, 2016
    I make this and use zucchini noodles in place of the pasta. Yum!
    Reply
  22. Robert says:
    January 16, 2017
    Can I use cooked ham pepperoni too
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      January 16, 2017
      That will work great too!
      Reply
  23. Natalie Martignago says:
    January 27, 2017
    Hi there, This recipe looks great! Just a question: what ingredients would I use to make just a basic Italian salad dressing for this? I haven't heard of that brand of dressing either, where do you get it? Thanks!
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      January 30, 2017
      Any Italian dressing will do. Even the store brand tastes great in this salad.They sell it at Wal Mart. Here is the link you can from Amazon.com - https://www.amazon.com/Wish-Bone-Salad-Dressing-Robusto-Italian/dp/B01GCO403A/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1485801493&sr=8-1&keywords=wishbone+robusto+italian+dressing
      Reply
  24. linda says:
    February 15, 2017
    Hello I was wondering could I add 1tsp of salad supreme and 1 tsp Johnny's seasoning or that would be too much seasoning ?
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      February 20, 2017
      I think it would taste great with both!
      Reply
    • Wanda says:
      June 1, 2019
      What is johnnys seasoning??
      Reply
  25. sharron chatelain says:
    October 2, 2017
    I was at a party, there was a 3 bean salad, it had olives, red/green onions cucumber eggs , kidney bean, chilli bean, I cant remember the last bean, salad mixed with Mayo,tang of mustard has anyone heard of this other bean/ Idea for another Ingredient? Thank you
    Reply
  26. Kairee says:
    March 17, 2018
    How much is a serving size
    Reply
  27. Susan B says:
    March 28, 2018
    I bring this to pot lucks and it's always a hit.
    Reply
  28. Stephanie says:
    June 30, 2018
    I love this recipe so much!! My aunt used to make this when I was a kid and I have been searching for years! It tastes just like she used to make it. Thanks for sharing!
    Reply
  29. Jessica says:
    August 27, 2018
    What size pasta do you use??
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      August 28, 2018
      We use spaghetti noodles.
      Reply
  30. Lana Luxem says:
    September 26, 2018
    Do you peel the cucumber & zucchini?
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      September 28, 2018
      You don't need to peel the cucumber and zucchini. But if any in your family have issues with that, you can also peel them. The skin gives the salad a nice color.
      Reply
  31. Lonna Miles says:
    January 6, 2019
    Been making this salad since the 80’s. My dressing is slightly different. I use the Italian dressing with a whole 2 oz bottle of McCormicks salad supreme. Doesn’t need any other spices. It’s so versatile because you can vary types of pasta and vegetables to your liking. Makes a large amount for a crowd. Can make it a day ahead. Last a few days before vegetables get soft. Delicious!
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      January 10, 2019
      Thanks for sharing. We love Salad Supreme!
      Reply
  32. Loren Ericksen says:
    March 26, 2019
    Delicious, beautiful and great for a gathering! I even enjoy a bowlful for breakfast!
    Reply
  33. Laurie says:
    June 28, 2019
    I made this for the first time. It's delicious. I used about 2/3 jar of the dressing and added some olive oil. I left out the cheddar cheese, increased the parmesan cheese and added parsley. Went to family reunion potluck. It was perfect and everyone loved it
    Reply
  34. Gwen says:
    July 29, 2019
    Oh know! Everybody leaves great reviews and it turned out so great for them! Mine has a very powerful garlic taste and I measured everything! How can I fix it? Ough it looks amazing but the taste is not there! 😕
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      August 12, 2019
      We are so sorry it didn't turn out Gwen. This is often a staple at so many of our family parties. Super easy and delicious. Maybe leave out the garlic powder in the dressing if it had a strong garlic taste. Other than that, there is really no garlic in this recipe.
      Reply
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