Spaghetti Salad with Italian Dressing
If you’ve ever made spaghetti salad and thought it tasted a little flat after sitting in the fridge, you’re not alone. Pasta loves to soak up dressing, which can leave things dry if the recipe isn’t built right. My Spaghetti Salad with Italian Dressing will fix that for you! It's packed with fresh veggies, tender pasta, and just the right amount of tangy dressing so everything is coated without being soggy. When it comes to cookout sides, my Southern roots have taught me a thing, or two!
Servings 10 servings
Calories 330kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti pasta
- 1 cup Italian dressing See notes.
- 1 cup cubed and diced ham
- ½ cup chopped onion I used red onion.
- 1 cup chopped cucumbers
- ½ cup chopped green pepper
- ½ cup chopped red pepper
- ¼ cup sliced black olives
- ¼ cup cherry/grape tomatoes Sliced in half
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook the spaghetti in accordance with the package instructions.
- Rinse the spaghetti in cold water and pat dry.
- Add the spaghetti to your serving dish along with the remaining ingredients. Chill for a minimum of 1 hour. 2-3 hours is optimal.
Video
Notes
- I've always made this dish for a crowd. Feel free to cut the recipe in half. You can cut the recipe in half by using half of the ingredients noted.
- You can double the recipe by using double the ingredients.
- If you like a wet pasta salad, then serving immediately after chilling the dish will work best for you. You may find that you need additional dressing. Add additional dressing to suit your taste and texture needs.
- You can omit the ham to make the dish vegetarian.
- You can use whatever pasta you like. Anything will work, i.e. penne, linguine, etc.
- You can use any dressing you wish, Greek salad dressings work well and if you want a creamy pasta salad, go for ranch!
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 330kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 13g