California Spaghetti Salad

            When you want a light lunch or dinner and do not want to cook too much, try this delightful California Spaghetti Salad.

It is loaded with fresh and crunchy vegetables, pasta, seasoning and Italian Salad dressing. It makes the perfect combination of foods all come together for the taste that answers all cravings.

            I was shocked that my kids were even enjoying this meal. I had actually prepared another dish just in case.

So, I ended up not having to make anything the next day. The vegetables can be switched for others if you prefer. In our house I use cucumber instead of zucchini, because of allergies.

Frequently Asked Questions:

            Do I need to use Spaghetti noodles?

No, you could use Angel hair pasta, small elbow macaroni, rings, basically which pasta makes you happy.

            Can the vegetables be  traded?

As stated earlier, yes, they can. Switch out color for color if you can. This keeps the appearance the same.

            Do I have to use the dressing?

The dressing can be optional. If some do not like it with the dressing it is probably best to let those eating add their own dressing.

            How do I store this?

Cover it tightly with plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container. It can sit in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

What do you need to make California Spaghetti Salad

            1 pound of thin spaghetti broken into pieces

            1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half

            1 large zucchini, diced

            1 large cucumber, diced

            1 red bell pepper, diced

            1 green bell pepper, diced

            1 red onion, diced

            2 small cans of sliced black olives

Dressing:

            1 bottle Italian dressing

            ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated or shredded

            1 tsp paprika

            ½ tsp celery seed

            ¼ garlic powder

How to make California Spaghetti Salad

FIRST STEP:

Cook the pasta according to directions

a)

b)

Dice all the vegetables and toss in a bowl

a)

 

b)

SECOND STEP:

Rinse and drain the pasta pieces

a)

b)

c)

Whisk together the bottle of dressing, the paprika, the celery seed and garlic powder

a)

b)

THIRD STEP:

Stir in the parmesan cheese

Pour over the salad and cover with plastic wrap

a)

b)

c)

d)

FOURTH STEP:

Place it in the refrigerator for 3 hours or overnight

Enjoy!

YUM!