California Spaghetti Salad – Barefoot in the kitchen

Stuffed with fresh veggies, tangy Italian dressing, and delicious swirls of pasta, you’ll want to savor every bite of this California Spaghetti Salad.

Italian spaghetti salad

Like so many pasta salads I love, this one is packed with fresh veggies. I like to add about ¾ cup of veggies for every ounce of pasta in the salad (so 6 cups of veggies for 8 ounces of pasta).

That might sound like a lot, but I promise this ratio won’t add up to too many veggies. It’s the best balance I’ve found to maximize the textures and flavors of this Italian spaghetti salad.

You can make this recipe with any veggies that you enjoy snacking on or eating raw. Simply chop the veggies into reasonably even, bite-sized pieces. This ensures the maximum variety of textures and flavors in every bite.

If possible, try making this salad with homemade Italian dressing. It takes less than five minutes to shake this dressing together and it makes a world of difference.

California Spaghetti Salad

Something magical happens with every fork of this pasta salad. Crunchy cucumbers and juicy tomatoes balance the light bite of red onions and peppers.

The dressing is a tangy highlight with bright lemon notes and the gentle richness of olive oil. It adds vibrant and irresistible flavor to this California Spaghetti Salad recipe.

The celery seeds and black olives give this dish its special flavors and give it so much depth. I love these ingredients. But this recipe is versatile enough that you can adapt it to your liking.

As written, this is a vegetarian recipe. But if you’re like the meat lovers at my table, you’ll be pleased to know that this dish goes well with pretty much any protein option.

California Spaghetti Salad recipe

For this recipe you will need the following ingredients:

• thin spaghetti
• Italian salad dressing
• Red onion
• black olives
• tomatoes
• paprika
• Cucumber
• sesame seeds, celery seeds and peppers
• parmesan cheese

California pasta salad

Start by bringing a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Break the noodles into thirds or quarters (pieces about 5-7 cm long). Cook the noodles according to package directions. Then drain and rinse until cold.

While the pasta is cooking, halve the tomatoes and dice the remaining vegetables. Place the vegetables and olives in a large bowl. Then add the cooled noodles to the bowl.

Pour the Italian salad dressing over the pasta and vegetables. Stir to coat everything with the dressing. Then sprinkle with spices and grated cheese. Stir again to mix everything.

If you’ve never tried homemade pasta salad dressing, you absolutely have to try it. It’s worth the effort. The lemon brightens the flavors beautifully.

You can serve this dish immediately or keep it in the fridge until ready to eat. This is a great site to prepare ahead of time. You have one less thing to worry about when you’re putting dinner on the table.

I like to garnish this salad with some freshly grated parmesan, a sprinkling of kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. But you can just as well add pieces of bacon or roasted sunflower seeds.

Spaghetti-salad

If you like this California Spaghetti Salad recipe, you have to try it with Last Minute Chicken. It’s one of my favorite (and fastest) ways to get chicken on my family’s table.

You can also quickly make a batch of Orange Garlic Shrimp with this recipe. Or you can pair the shrimp with this Asian Noodle Salad that’s loaded with ten different fresh veggies. It’s made with a different vinaigrette so flavorful you might be tempted to drink it. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

These Crispy Pork Bites caught my eye the other day so I’m putting them on my list to try soon.

And if you’re looking for other meat dishes to pair with pasta salad, then I highly recommend these Asian Steak Bites. And these Cajun Steak Bites are perfect for the spice lover at your table.