California Pasta Salad
Venture, on an experience with our California Pasta Salad, a fiery chef-d'oeuvre that grasps the sunny essence of California on your plate. Picture twirling your fork into spaghetti adorned with a medley of fresh vegetables and a homemade dressing that harmoniously merges diverse flavors. This salad is like a symphony featuring grape tomatoes, zucchini, bell peppers and more. The dressing adds a flicker to this dish, with its garlic notes touch of paprika and nutty poppy seeds. Whether you're enjoying it at picnics, barbecues or cozy family dinners this dish truly brings the spirit of California to your table. Guarantees a burst of sunshine in every morsel.
16 Servings
Ingredients
For the Salad Dressing:
- 1 c olive oil
- 1/2 c red wine vinegar
- 1/4 c Parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp. sesame seeds
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp poppy seeds
- 1/4 tsp garlic or two cloves fresh finely minced
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp celery seed
- 1/4 tsp salt or more to taste
For the Pasta Salad:
- 1 lb. thin spaghetti broken into thirds
- 2 medium zucchini diced
- 1 pint grape tomatoes halved
- 1 large hot house cucumber diced
- 1 medium green bell pepper diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper diced
- 1 red onion diced (optional)
- 1 6.5 oz can sliced black olives, drained
Instructions
- Here's how you can make the dressing: In a bowl whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, Parmesan cheese, sesame seeds, dried oregano, poppy seeds, minced garlic, paprika, celery seed and salt. Mix everything well. Set it aside.
- Now let's cook the pasta: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add some salt. Put in the spaghetti. Cook it following the instructions, on the package (usually around 9 minutes). Once cooked drain the pasta. Rinse it under water to cool it down.
- Next step is to combine all the ingredients: In a mixing bowl put together zucchini, halved grape tomatoes, diced cucumber, diced green bell pepper, diced red bell pepper and sliced black olives. If you like onion you can add that too. Add in the cooled spaghetti.
- Now we need to dress up the salad: Drizzle the dressing, over all of your ingredients. Start with a bit of dressing. Then add more according to your taste preference. Mix everything together until everything is well coated.
- After that let chill and serve: Cover your bowl. Refrigerate it for at least 2 hours or even overnight so that all the flavors can blend nicely together. Serve it chilled and enjoy!
Notes
To add a gluten-free variation, to this California Pasta Salad just swap out the usual thin spaghetti with your preferred gluten-free pasta option. Make sure to choose a brand of gluten-free pasta to ensure it has the same enjoyable texture and taste, as the original recipe. By making this substitution you can enjoy all the sunny flavors of California without worrying about gluten making it a dish that will please everyone at your table.