Classic Italian flavors make this super easy spaghetti pasta salad with pepperoni, veggies and dressing a potluck favorite everyone will love.
Picky eaters. Just like dust bunnies and crumbs dropped and forgotten (or ignored?) in the corners of the kitchen, there’s always a few in the room.
This salad is made for picky eaters. Minus the onions, maybe. Because who doesn’t love spaghetti? And pepperoni? And olives doused with a tangy Italian dressing?
I made this pasta salad along with this Broccoli Salad for a potluck dinner a few weeks ago. I knew there were picky eaters in the crowd, and I knew there was a very slim chance those eaters were going to be partaking of broccoli, especially in a salad.
This was my offering for them. A crowd pleaser was in the house.
About the Recipe
This salad has all the flavors of a classic Italian pizza, but with the crunch of cucumbers red bell pepper and slither of spaghetti topped with tangy Parmesan cheese.
The key to good pasta is to cook it in water that has been heavily seasoned with salt. That’s where the flavor starts.
This salad comes together quickly and easily and is a snap to make for even the most novice of home cooks.
Sure, there’s a bit of chopping to be done, but once you’ve wielded your way through the cucumbers, onion, red bell pepper and halved a few tomatoes, all that’s left is shaking your groove thing. For the dressing that is.
Using a jar to make salad dressing might be the easiest shortcut you’ll make this week.
You could easily double this dressing and keep it on hand for green salads throughout the week if you’re looking for the second easiest shortcut of the week.
And the third shortcut? Forget making this salad for the masses and make it for yourself to eat for lunch for the week. With this ingredient list it will hold up well for several days on end.
If you’re having a hard time finding mini pepperoni, you can always use the larger pieces and simply chop in half. Or use salami or chunks of chicken instead.
And if you’re feeling like switching things up even more, feel free to use green, yellow or orange bell peppers or add marinated artichoke hearts to the mix.
This is one of those salads that totally works with what you have on hand. Or for pleasing those picky little eaters.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment below or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Easy Italian Spaghetti Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound thin spaghetti
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 cucumbers quartered and sliced
- 1 red bell pepper seeded and chopped
- 1/2 red onion thinly sliced
- 10 ounces cherry tomatoes halved
- 8 ounces mini pepperoni
- 1 4- ounce can sliced black olives drained
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese or pecorino romano
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 garlic clove pressed or finely minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
-
Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions in boiling water seasoned with 2 tablespoons of kosher salt. Drain, rinse and cool. Add the spaghetti to a large bowl with the cucumbers, red bell pepper, red onion, cherry tomatoes, mini pepperoni, black olives and parmesan cheese. In a pint jar with a lid, add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Italian seasoning, sugar, garlic clove, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Shake well and pour over the spaghetti mixture and toss to coat. Add more parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Chill for 30 minutes up to overnight.
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Christine @ WRY TOAST says
August 1, 2016 at 5:27 ammy husband dave HATES olives, have you ever heard of such a thing?! pick eaters man…. lol
this looks so perfect for a quick meal or side – pinning!! xo
Kate Tracton says
August 1, 2016 at 3:28 pmI made this for dinner tonight as it is HOT outside. What a delicious, easy recipe. Thank you!
Alma @ Vorrei says
August 3, 2016 at 2:01 amI’ve used a similar recipe for years. I usually mix the Italian dressing in with the cooked pasta the night before and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight before adding the vegetables.
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August 4, 2016 at 8:22 amHey..This looks awesome..Just one question – can pappardelle be added in stead of spaghetti??
Ellen says
June 24, 2017 at 11:13 amI’m going to use penne or shells just because I think it would be easier to handle. If it’s pasta anything works I would think!
max says
August 5, 2016 at 12:06 pmWhat a gorgeous, colorful,Already got print of this page.
Mandy says
September 5, 2016 at 11:41 amI made this today to take to a Labor Day cookout. I realized too late that I only had white wine vinegar but it still tastes delicious! I also used baby red and orange bell peppers and used turkey pepperoni. I can totally see this as a meal!
heidi says
September 18, 2016 at 8:15 amThanks for the suggestions Mandy, happy to see you made it work with what you had on hand.
Joyce says
September 21, 2016 at 4:36 amItalian spaghetti pasta salad . I was eat it some days ago very testy .
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Linda says
February 3, 2017 at 9:04 amHi, I wanted to let you know that I made this last night. Hubs could not get enough and proclaimed that we need to have it at least once a week in perpetuity. It was really delicious. I added celery and a small handful of blanched broccoli. Forgot the red onions, but we love them, so…next time. I had a beef summer sausage but left it out bc he’d already had it with crackers for lunch. Next time I’ll stir in some fresh spinach and maybe a little feta. Love how versatile it is according to personal tastes and that it’s a great way to get lots of veggies in. Thank you!
heidi says
February 7, 2017 at 5:29 pmSo glad you enjoyed this Linda and your husband too. I love your ideas for adapting the recipe, I’m always doing the same thing depending on what’s in the fridge!
Darcy Jorgensen says
February 19, 2017 at 12:23 pmI made this recipe for us this week. It turned out awesome, and we can’t stop eating it! It’s a great side to pretty much anything. Thanks!
heidi says
February 21, 2017 at 8:56 pmThanks Darcy, so glad you’re enjoying it!
Shar o says
April 13, 2018 at 2:52 pmMade this salad last night absolutely fantastic. The dressing is great. Enjoyed for two days.
jennifer says
May 2, 2017 at 12:50 pmGreat recipe. I was eat it some days ago very testy .
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daddy says
May 23, 2017 at 6:12 amIt tasted like your mom
Rosco says
June 20, 2017 at 5:27 pmThere is no excuse for canned olives. Use green olives, nicois, Greek, black cured, jarred Italian, Spanish, California, Whatever- anything other that what’s shown would be infinitely better. Everywhere in the US has real olives available – not just cities and towns.
Rebecca says
June 21, 2017 at 4:01 pmI just made this salad and it tastes great already but I will wait a couple hours and I’m sure it will be even better..I added Green and Red Peppers and Marinated Artichokes.. Yummy..
Brooke says
July 2, 2017 at 1:44 pmI also add mild peppers! Yum! Sometimes broccoli:)) whatever you prefer add to your liking.
Anna Hornsby says
July 9, 2017 at 4:46 pmI found this recipe very helpful .I liked the video also but it was to fast to keep up with Now I have not only the recipe but the tips also. Can’t wait to try it.I believe my family will love it to
Linda says
July 10, 2017 at 5:30 amDo you have nutritional values for this recipe, as written? We love it, but are supposed to be dieting. I’m not sure how to count the pasta, and all the other ingredients. Thank you.
Debra says
July 13, 2017 at 1:21 pmI made this salad pretty close to the original recipe but used less than half the amount of dressing. even my uber picky husband ate it :) I liked the dressing so much that I just made a second jar full. Now I have delicious home-made Italian dressing to last a while.
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Linda says
August 5, 2017 at 9:46 pmRecipe for vegetable pasta salad looks yummy!! Will have to try making it for my family. Would love to join your website.
Ellen says
August 20, 2017 at 2:26 pmDelicious! Do you know how may calories per serving on original recipe?
David G. says
September 6, 2017 at 6:23 pmI made this tonight for my wife. She must have liked it, because she had seconds and thirds. Making your own salad dressing was so much healthier than buying something and not being able to see where the ingredients came from. All fresh to include the olives and all the seasonings. Absolutely will do this again.
Chief papers says
October 12, 2017 at 7:43 amI am looking for a recipe for a pasta salad. It would be nice if it was diabetic friendly, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be. I also need to know about how many people it is going to feed so I can adjust it accordingly (for a party that I am going to)
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December 7, 2017 at 3:49 amThanks………..
Gail W says
May 10, 2018 at 1:33 pmMy husband and I love this recipe!! I use gluten free spaghetti and pepperoni without additives and sodium nitrate.
JoAnne Heersink says
July 17, 2018 at 7:51 amI made this minus the pasta for my low carb diet. It was fantastic!!!
Danielle Stockdale says
July 29, 2018 at 5:31 pmSounds perfect…except …sugar??? SUGAR in salad dressing?????NOPE!!! Not doing that…no way!!! OMG !! Seems like sacrilege!…Ok…deep breath…I’m OK… ;0D
Danielle says
July 29, 2018 at 5:31 pmSounds perfect…except …sugar??? SUGAR in salad dressing?????NOPE!!! Not doing that…no way!!! OMG !! Seems like sacrilege!…Ok…deep breath…I’m OK… ;0D
Antonella says
July 30, 2018 at 5:28 amYou can make everything you want…but don’t call it italian recipe!
Wanda says
February 1, 2019 at 12:22 pmMade mine Keto with zoodles, walnut oil, coconut vinegar and monk fruit sugar, LUV it.
Sue Hucke says
June 8, 2019 at 9:25 amThey call it easy, but it took me over an hour to make this, even though I had a chopper to do the red peppers and a slicer to do the onions. Of course I had to slice my olives, because I only had whole ones and then slice the tomatoes. Used grape ones because I couldn’t find cherry. It’s a little difficult getting the veggies incorporated into all that spaghetti.