A refreshing and vibrant spaghetti salad tossed with colorful vegetables and a zesty Italian dressing, perfect for picnics or as a side dish.
Servings 4servings
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine Italian
Ingredients
For the Salad
8ozspaghettiuncooked
1cupcherry tomatoeshalved
1cupcucumberdiced
1cupbell pepperdiced (any color)
1/2cupred onionfinely chopped
1/2cupblack olivessliced
1/2cupfeta cheesecrumbled
1/4cupfresh parsleychopped
For the Italian Dressing
1/4cupolive oilextra virgin
2tbspred wine vinegaror balsamic vinegar
1tbspDijon mustard
1clovegarlicminced
1tspdried oregano
1tspdried basil
1/2tspsaltto taste
1/4tspblack pepperto taste
Method
Cook the Spaghetti
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. This helps to season the pasta as it cooks.
Add the spaghetti and cook according to package instructions until al dente, usually about 8-10 minutes.
Once cooked, drain the spaghetti in a colander and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process and cool it down.
Prepare the Vegetables
While the spaghetti is cooking, prepare the vegetables. Halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the cucumber and bell pepper, finely chop the red onion, and slice the black olives.
Place all the chopped vegetables in a large mixing bowl.
Make the Italian Dressing
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, dried oregano, dried basil, salt, and black pepper.
Whisk until well combined and emulsified. This dressing can be adjusted to taste by adding more salt or vinegar if desired.
Combine the Salad
Add the cooled spaghetti to the bowl with the vegetables.
Pour the Italian dressing over the spaghetti and vegetables.
Toss everything together gently until the spaghetti and vegetables are evenly coated with the dressing.
Add crumbled feta cheese and chopped parsley, then toss lightly to combine.
Serve
Taste the salad and adjust seasoning if necessary. You can add more salt, pepper, or vinegar to suit your preference.
Serve immediately or refrigerate for 30 minutes to let the flavors meld together before serving.