This easy Spaghetti Salad recipe features tender pasta, crisp veggies, black olives, and fresh herbs. Then it's tossed in a flavorful, zesty dressing. It's so refreshing, customizable, and great for picnics, potlucks, or enjoyment at home! (Vegan & oil-free, with a gluten-free option.)
This delicious spaghetti salad is so fresh, crowd-pleasing, and simple to assemble!
It features long tender noodles, crisp veggies, black olives, and fresh herbs. Then we toss it in a homemade zesty dressing. (So good!)
Best of all, it's super flexible. So swap in your own favorite veggies, use bottled dressing instead, or add some cheese. There are countless options for customization, so feel free to use this recipe as a framework and and make it just the way you like it.
This classic dish is great for a picnic or potluck side dish, a light lunch, gatherings, or simply enjoyment at home. Let's get to it!
Ingredients for Spaghetti Salad
For this recipe, you'll toss together in a large bowl:
- Spaghetti noodles: Be sure to use gluten-free if desired. (Lately I've been using "Jovial" brand organic brown rice noodles.) Before boiling, I like to break my noodles in half for better manageability. But you can leave them whole if you prefer.
- Green bell pepper: I like the taste of green pepper in this recipe, but you can use yellow, orange, or red bell pepper instead.
- Red onion
- Grape tomatoes: Or cherry tomatoes. We'll use one pint for this recipe, which is often how they're sold at the grocery store. (This is about 10-12 ounces.) I use grape or cherry because they're so sweet and flavorful, but you can substitute roma tomato or other garden tomato if desired.
- Black olives: Leave these out if you're not a fan. You can also use Kalamata olives instead.
- Fresh parsley: This is optional but recommended for fresh, vibrant flavor!
- Red wine vinegar
- Fresh lemon juice
- Nutritional yeast: Just a tablespoon adds a savory, slightly cheesy flavor to the dressing.
- Dijon mustard
- White miso: This adds salty, umami flavor to the dressing. But if you don't have it, just salt to taste instead. You can also add black pepper.
- Italian seasoning: Be sure your dried herbs are fresh (not expired) for best flavor.
- Garlic powder: Or use 1-2 cloves minced garlic instead.
Customizing
Vegetables: I really enjoy this combination of fresh veggies, but swap in anything else that sounds good. I've used diced English cucumber which is great, or try artichokes, zucchini, asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red pepper, broccoli, green onion, or chopped fresh greens like arugula or baby spinach.
Make it cheesy: Add a sprinkle of Vegan Parmesan Cheese, dairy-free feta crumbles, or your own favorite cheese.
Fresh herbs: Toss in fresh basil, cilantro, oregano, or chives if you'd like.
Other additions: You can also add vegan pepperoni or chickpeas for some plant-based protein.
Dressing: Use the salad dressing provided below or swap in homemade Italian Dressing or Greek Dressing. (Or if you prefer store-bought, use your favorite bottled Italian dressing instead!) If you include oil in your diet, you can also pour in a tablespoon or more of good quality extra-virgin olive oil.
Pasta shape: This recipe could also work with fusilli, penne, rotini, shells, farfalle, elbow, fettuccine, or whatever other pasta shape you have on hand. I find spaghetti salad isn't as cohesive as other pasta salads (since the noodles and veggies tend to separate). So if this bothers you, it's easily fixed by swapping in a different pasta shape that makes it easier to eat.
Serving
I enjoy this salad best at room temperature right after it's prepared. But you can refrigerate it for later and serve it chilled if you prefer. Some of the dressing will naturally settle at the bottom as it sits, so give it a stir again before serving. (If you're preparing this ahead of time, you can also reserve some of the dressing and then toss it with the salad right before serving so it stays fresh.)
Storing
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. I find it's best enjoyed within 1-2 days.
For more inspiration, also browse all vegan salad recipes or pasta recipes.
Spaghetti Salad (Easy!)
Ingredients
- 12 oz. spaghetti noodles*
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1/2 red onion
- 1 pint grape tomatoes
- 2/3 cup black olives
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley (optional)
For the dressing:
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar (or slightly more)
- 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp. white miso
- 1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Instructions
- Cook spaghetti: Break the spaghetti noodles in half. Then in a large stockpot, cook the spaghetti according to package instructions in salted water. (There's a sweet spot with the cooking time. Be sure to cook the pasta long enough so the noodles aren't hard, but don't overcook it where it's mushy and the noodles break apart.)
- Make the dressing: While the spaghetti cooks, add all dressing ingredients to a small bowl. Whisk to combine until smooth. Set aside.
- Prepare vegetables: Dice bell pepper and red onion. Halve or quarter the grape tomatoes. Slice olives. Roughly chop the parsley. Place all in a large mixing bowl.
- Combine: When the spaghetti is done cooking, drain it in a colander and give it a quick rinse with cool water. Drain well. Then add the noodles to the mixing bowl with veggies. Immediately add the dressing and gently toss with tongs to combine.
- Serving: I enjoy this salad best when it's served immediately at room temperature. Some dressing and veggies will naturally settle at the bottom, so give it another toss right before serving. (You can also refrigerate it for later if you prefer but it's best enjoyed within a day or two.)
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)
Sodium content: This is omitted as I cannot provide an accurate number. I encourage you to calculate your own to provide a much more precise reading based on the exact ingredients, brands, and amounts you're using.
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Jennifer says
A new recipe hot off the press on the Garden Grazer!! Naturally I had to give it a try! I will admit I was a little reluctant using spaghetti noodles…I’ve never had a pasta salad with that type of noodle before. Well, I shouldn’t have questioned it. The salad turned out beautifully! I followed your idea of breaking the noodles in half first - I think doing so makes it more manageable on a fork. I omitted the olives and added baby arugula. Everything else was exactly as written. It passed the test by both husband and daughter! I loved the tangy dressing, too. This is a keeper for sure! Thank you so much for sharing!
Kaitlin says
Aww, hello Jennifer! Haha, so glad you three enjoyed this and great addition with the arugula! Your comments are always so warm, fun, and genuine. They make me smile, so thank you for taking the time to come back and share. Have an awesome weekend!