Jul
31
Summer Spaghetti Salad
Hello again! Krista from Everyday Mom’s Meals here with another yummy recipe to share with all of you Happy Homemaker Fans!
I love pasta salad. Especially in the summer time. But I also love pasta salads that are filling enough to eat like a meal. See, as much as we L.O.V.E summer and hot weather, sometimes when supper time rolls around, it’s still too stinkin’ warm to even think about a heavy meal. So, I resort to lighter meals that satisfy but still keep us nice and cool.
This one is filled with so much flavor from the dressing and fresh veggies, it’s become our new favorite this summer. I make a big batch for dinner, add some fresh fruit, crusty bread and call it a meal. Then the leftovers make fantastic lunches all week long!
Summer time and pasta salads go together like sand and castles, but are so much yummier!
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Summer Spaghetti Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb. thin spaghetti broken into thirds
- 1 10 oz. container cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 medium zucchini chopped
- 2 medium cucumbers peeled, seeded and chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 yellow bell pepper chopped
- 1 3.4 oz. can sliced black olives
- 1 16 oz. bottle zesty Italian dressing
- 1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 TBS sesame seeds extra for garnish
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. celery seed
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 TBS dried parsley extra for garnish
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook spaghetti until just done. Do not over cook. Rinse with cold water and drain well.
- In a large bowl combine all veggies and spaghetti. Toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
- In a medium bowl whisk together dressing, cheese, sesame seeds, paprika, celery seed, garlic powder and parsley. Pour over salad. Toss very well to coat.
- Garnish with extra parsley and sesame seeds. Chill at least 2 hours before serving. Can be made ahead 24 hours and refrigerated until serving.
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My cousin makes this for our family reunion every year and it’s a huge hit, so I had to try it. It’s so simple and delicious! Perfect cold salad for when everyone else is bringing potato salads and coleslaw.