Description
Fresh garden spaghetti salad delivers summer’s crisp vegetable melody on twirled pasta strands. Colorful Mediterranean-inspired ingredients dance through cool noodles, promising refreshing bites perfect for picnic gatherings you’ll savor.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables:
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cucumber, diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup broccoli florets, blanched
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ cup shredded carrots
- ½ cup black olives, sliced
Pasta:
- 12 ounces (340 grams) spaghetti
Dressing and Seasoning:
- ½ cup Italian dressing (store-bought or homemade)
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Boil spaghetti until al dente, then immediately transfer to a colander and rinse thoroughly with cold water to halt cooking and cool down the pasta.
- Dice the assorted vegetables into uniform, bite-sized pieces to ensure consistent texture and even flavor distribution throughout the salad.
- Transfer the chilled spaghetti into a spacious mixing vessel, creating a foundation for the garden-fresh ingredients.
- Gently fold the chopped vegetables, sliced olives, and herbs into the pasta, creating a vibrant and colorful medley.
- Drizzle the Italian dressing across the salad, using a gentle folding motion to coat each ingredient without breaking the delicate pasta strands.
- Season the mixture with a delicate balance of salt and freshly ground black pepper, adjusting to personal taste preferences.
- Optional: Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese for an additional layer of savory complexity.
- Seal the salad and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for a minimum of one hour, enabling the flavors to harmonize and intensify.
- Before serving, give the salad a light toss to redistribute the dressing and reinvigorate the ingredients.
Notes
- Swap regular spaghetti for whole wheat or gluten-free pasta to accommodate different dietary needs and boost nutritional value.
- Enhance the protein content by adding grilled chicken, chickpeas, or cubed tofu for a more substantial meal that keeps you satisfied.
- Customize the dressing by using a homemade vinaigrette with fresh herbs like basil or oregano to elevate the flavor profile and reduce store-bought dressing additives.
- Allow the salad to marinate longer than an hour for deeper flavor penetration, with optimal taste developing after 4-6 hours of chilling in the refrigerator.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 5 mg