How to Make Cookout Spaghetti Pasta Salad Recipe
The perfect spaghetti pasta salad! Seasoned and coated in a delicious Italian salad dressing with a bit of ranch for the perfect cool zestiness! Loaded with fresh, colorful vegetables and herbs! It’s a cookout favorite!
Watch me make this spaghetti pasta salad from start to finish!
Something happens to a family when it loses the matriarch. Grandma Barb was that vein that kept everything flowing easily. She was the one who checked in on everybody, and there were never any questions on if we were getting together for holidays or who was bringing what.
We knew the routine, and we all fell into place effortlessly.
Now everything is different as we find our new footing.
It’s frustrating, confusing, and sometimes downright irritating trying to get all the aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and everybody in-between on the same page.
“Too many cooks in the kitchen” is what my brother says.
Thankfully, my family is very open, loving, communicates very well, and has never had a fallen out *knock on wood*.
We’ve had plenty of family talks on how we can improve and make conscious efforts to make sure we carry out these family traditions for the younger generation.
I know we’ll pull it together because we have soooo much fun when we do.
I’m due to host the next family cookout, so I’ve already got so many ideas to help us rekindle the spark that our old cookouts used to have: good food, laughter, games, home movies, music, homemade ice cream, water balloon fights and all the fun and silliness that our family is known for.
Yep, I’m bringing back the old-school cookouts when my mom and Grandma Barb were alive. I can’t wait!! It’s well overdue.
Bring on the pasta salad!
It’s just not a cookout (or potluck) without a pasta salad or two! My aunt Ada usually brings tuna macaroni salad, but every now and then, spaghetti salad makes its way to the menu, and I LOVE it! My aunt Arlene makes an incredible spaghetti salad.
Her recipe was actually the first time I had spaghetti pasta salad, and it was filled with so many yummy ingredients, including sweet peas and ham.
I’ve since created a recipe that my family loves just as much, and that’s what I’ll be sharing with you today! It’s such an easy pasta salad recipe.
Why I LOVE this easy spaghetti salad recipe
I’ve been making this salad for many years, and folks love it. It’s got a secret ingredient that helps the Italian dressing cling a bit better and tones down the vinegar just a bit so that even kids love it. And that secret is to add a teeny bit of ranch dressing to the Italian dressing. It makes all the difference!
My oldest son isn’t really a fan of the sharpness of Zesty Italian dressing, but he loves this pasta salad.
You can pretty much add in whatever vegetables or meats that you like! If it tastes good with Italian dressing, it will taste good in this pasta salad!
I’ve included my favorites in this recipe, but you can certainly swap them out or increase or decrease the amounts.
Add-In Ideas (Don’t forget the fresh herbs!)
For this spaghetti pasta salad recipe, I add cucumbers, tomatoes, mixed bell peppers, red onion, and cheddar cheese. Along with pepperoni and fresh dill, and parsley!
If you’d like to add more or make some swaps, here are a few ideas. (If you want to add in A LOT of stuff, you may need to add a bit more dressing)
- chopped broccoli
- chopped cauliflower
- frozen, thawed sweet peas
- pepperoncini
- black olives
- red bell pepper
- mushrooms
- chicken, ham (or protein of your choice)
Spaghetti Pasta Salad Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- thin spaghetti noodles
- salad supreme seasoning
- cajun seasoning
- fresh dill weed
- fresh parsley
- Italian Salad Dressing
- Ranch Salad Dressing
- mild cheddar cheese
- cucumbers
- cherry tomatoes
- red onion
- yellow bell peppers
- red bell pepper
- green bell peppers
- fresh parsley
- pepperoni (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente.
- Drain and rinse with cold water until the pasta is cold.
- Place drained pasta into a large bowl or casserole dish.
- Sprinkle with salad supreme, cajun seasoning, dill weed, and fresh parsley. Toss until coated.
- Mix together Italian dressing and ranch dressing.
- Pour over pasta and toss until coated.
- Add remaining ingredients and toss to coat.
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Toss before serving, as some ingredients will sink to the bottom.
- Taste and adjust any seasonings if needed. (I usually add course black pepper and more salad supreme)
- Garnish with fresh parsley and dill if desired.
Tip for the best spaghetti pasta salad
- To cut down on prep time, you can use pre-chopped veggies. (Although I still usually cut those up even smaller)
- Drain and rinse the noodles with super cold water as soon as they are done to stop the cooking process. Noodles should be cold before proceeding with the recipe.
- Use thin spaghetti.
- Taste, taste, taste! Let your taste buds and eyes be the judge! Add more of any vegetable that you really love, or cut back on the ones you don’t like. The vegetables in this recipe are what I’ve discovered my family and friends love the most. If it were only up to me, I’d definitely add in black olives! Yum!
- Toss before serving. Give the salad a good toss before serving, as the dressing and ingredients can settle on the bottom.
Common Questions
- Can I substitute the fresh veggies? Absolutely! Try to use at least one of the juicy vegetables though (cucumber or tomatoes) if you like them! It really creates a refreshing pasta salad.
- Do I need to coat the cooked spaghetti in olive oil? There is no need to coat the spaghetti since you will rinse it well with cold water.
- Can I add additional spices? Sure! I’d suggest waiting until the end after you taste the finished pasta salad to tweak the spices. Garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, and Italian seasoning are a few spice suggestions. However, I find this recipe perfect as is since the flavors will intensify as it chills.
- What can serve spaghetti pasta salad with? This pasta salad makes an excellent side dish or a complete meal! Serve it with grilled chicken or any of your favorite BBQ meats.
- What brand of Italian salad dressing and ranch do you use? I like to use Ken’s brand for both. You can use your favorite brands. I’m not a fan of the reduced salt versions, but if you need to control the sodium, it’s fine to use.
- Can I add red wine vinegar? Since this spaghetti pasta salad already has Italian dressing, adding extra vinegar is unnecessary.
- Do I need to add kosher salt? There is no need to add salt of any kind to this recipe.
Get the Recipe: Spaghetti Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb thin spaghetti noodles, (broken in half)
- ¼ cup Salad Supreme seasoning
- ½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley (finely chopped)
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill weed (finely chopped)
- 1½ cup Italian Salad Dressing
- 2 tablespoons Ranch Dressing
- 1 cup cucumbers, finely diced
- 1 cup sweet cherry tomatoes, finely diced
- ⅓-½ cup red onions, finely diced
- ½ cup Mixed bell peppers (I used red, green, and yellow)
- ½ cup Cheddar cheese, (cut into tiny cubes)
- ½ cup Hard pepperoni, cut into into cubes (optional), I used the turkey pepperoni sticks
Instructions
- Cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. (do not overcook)1 lb thin spaghetti noodles
- Drain and rinse with cold water until the pasta is cold. Set aside.
- Place drained pasta into a large bowl or casserole dish.
- Sprinkle pasta with salad supreme, cajun seasoning, dill weed, and fresh parsley. Toss until coated.¼ cup Salad Supreme seasoning, ½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning, 1 tablespoon fresh parsley (finely chopped), 1 tablespoon fresh dill weed (finely chopped)
- Mix together Italian dressing and ranch dressing.1½ cup Italian Salad Dressing, 2 tablespoons Ranch Dressing
- Pour dressing over pasta and toss until coated.
- Add remaining ingredients and toss to coat. (remember you add more or less to suit your taste)1 cup cucumbers, finely diced, 1 cup sweet cherry tomatoes, finely diced, ⅓-½ cup red onions, finely diced, ½ cup Mixed bell peppers (I used red, green, and yellow), ½ cup Cheddar cheese, (cut into tiny cubes), ½ cup Hard pepperoni, cut into into cubes (optional)
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. ( I refrigerate for at least an hour. See note)
- Toss before serving, as some ingredients will sink to the bottom.
- Taste and adjust any seasonings or ingredients if needed. (I usually add course black pepper and more salad supreme)
- Garnish with additional fresh parsley and dill if desired.
