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Summer Spaghetti Salad

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I love the colors in this salad!

Summer Spaghetti Salad is one of my favorite summertime dishes!  This dish travels well in a reusable sealed container and stays fresh for days making it perfect for camping, picnicking, or a day on the water.  As we prepared for July 4th festivities, I started thinking of what I particularly wanted to see on the menu.  Since brats and cheeseburgers are pretty much off the table, I closed my eyes and began rehashing summertime eats from childhood onward and landed on an old favorite that came from my mom. A few years back, I came up with my own rendition, but now, I knew my version would need some tweaking.

It’s amazing how something can be so different, yet so similar. What used to be centered around a bottle of store-bought bottle of Italian (it-alian, not I-talian by the way) dressing and salami, ham, provolone and Colby jack cubes with a hint of veggies for flavor is now something that contains real food, no garbage, and is equally, if not more, delicious!

What we have here though is an awesomely tasty alternative!  No more dressing filled with preservatives, additives, artificial colors, sweeteners, and who knows what else. No more overly processed deli meats and cheeses. Upping the veggies and using a healthy oil makes for one tasty dish! I don’t miss the meats and cheeses, and I don’t feel like there’s a brick in my stomach after I eat three bowls back-to-back-to-back!

This Summer Spaghetti Salad is:

  • Real Food
  • Gluten-Free*
  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan

*If you use gluten-free pasta.

KITCHEN GADGETS

  • Cutting board & knife (veggies)
  • Mason jar or sealed container (dressing)
  • Large mixing bowl (salad)
  • More if you haven’t made the dressing Italian Style Vinaigrette

IN OUR KITCHEN

  • PASTA.  I’m choosy about my gluten free pasta and because we picked up groceries at the last minutes, I selected organic spaghetti.
  • BELL PEPPERS.  They’re delicious and packed with nutrients, and the colors make it more fun.
  • RED ONION.  Same principle applies when it comes to color.  Nothing wrong with a white or yellow onion, but the red gives great color to this dish and is usually good in cold salads.
  • CUCUMBER. I’m part Lebanese, so cucumbers tend to find their way in several of my cold dishes.
  • KALAMATA OLIVES. We put olives in one of our three bowls each of us consumed (we were hungry), and they were good. We use kalamata olives every time we put olives in or on something. I’m not much of a fan of anything else, yet.

The recipe…

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Summer Spaghetti Salad

  • Author: Paul Gigliotti
  • Prep Time: 5 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 Minutes
  • Total Time: 15 Minutes
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Description

This salad is perfect when you’re in a hurry and need something quick and simple! It’s also colorful and great for potlucks!

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 lb organic or gluten-free spaghetti
  • 1 large cucumber, peeled and diced
  • 3 bell peppers, thinly sliced (red, yellow, green)
  • 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup avocado oil
  • 1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt (adjust as desired)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder (adjust as desired)
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (adjust as desired)
  • Kalamata olives, sliced (optional)

Instructions

  1. Prepare the pasta as directed.  (side note, before putting in the water, break pasta in half)
  2. Cut veggies as pasta cooks
  3. Cold rinse the pasta
  4. Add avocado oil, vegetables, and spices then toss. We used 1/2 cup oil, you want more or less
  5. Enjoy!

Notes

This Summer Spaghetti Salad can be made with a homemade dressing or avocado oil. We kept it simple for you here, and it’s delish either way! 

  • Category: Salad
  • Cuisine: Italian (Real Food, Gluten-Free, Dairy Free, Vegetarian, Vegan)

Keywords: Pasta salad