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California Spaghetti Salad

California Spaghetti Salad

A vibrant, vegetable-packed pasta salad tossed in a zesty, upgraded Italian dressing. Perfect for potlucks, barbecues, and make-ahead lunches!
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Ingredients
  

  • For the Salad:
  • 1 lb. Spaghetti noodles broken in half, cooked to al dente, rinsed, and drained well
  • 1 ½ Cups Cherry tomatoes sliced in half
  • 1 Cucumber diced
  • 2 Zucchini diced
  • 1 Red bell pepper diced
  • 1 Green bell pepper diced
  • 1 Red onion diced
  • 1 Can 6 oz Black olives, sliced or diced
  • For the Dressing Mixture:
  • 1 Bottle 16 oz Zesty Italian dressing
  • ½ Cup Parmesan cheese grated
  • 1 Tbsp. Sesame seeds
  • 1 tsp. Paprika
  • ½ tsp. Celery seed
  • ¼ tsp. Garlic powder

Instructions
 

  • Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broken spaghetti noodles and cook until al dente according to package instructions. Drain immediately and rinse thoroughly under cold water to stop the cooking process and cool the noodles. Drain well.
  • Combine Salad Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled spaghetti, cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, zucchini, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, red onion, and black olives.
  • Mix the Dressing: In a smaller bowl, whisk together the bottle of Italian dressing, grated Parmesan cheese, sesame seeds, paprika, celery seed, and garlic powder until well combined.
  • Toss: Pour the dressing mixture over the large bowl of pasta and vegetables. Use tongs to toss everything together until the ingredients are evenly distributed and coated in the dressing.
  • Chill: Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 to 3 hours before serving to allow the flavors to develop and meld.
  • Serve: Give the salad one more good toss right before serving. Enjoy cold!
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