Summer Spaghetti Salad
Summer spaghetti salad is a delicious, flavorful way to enjoy in season herbs and produce in a cool pasta dish. This spaghetti salad features juicy cherry tomatoes, pungent garlic and basil, and rich extra virgin olive oil for a simple dish you’ll be making all summer long!
I love when it’s finally growing season time and we can reap the fruits of our labors.
Or the tomatoes of our labors?
Which, I guess, technically are a fruit…
Which confuses me if I think about pasta.
Well, no matter, what you classify tomatoes as, this summer spaghetti salad features an abundance of fresh summer tomatoes uncooked and marinated in garlic basil olive oil.
And oh the flavor!
There’s nothing better than juicy, sweet summer tomatoes in that rich oil mixture tossed with pasta and parmesan cheese.
You don’t even have to cook the tomatoes to enjoy all that bright flavor.
That’s right, it’s a raw sauce, friends, making this dish so easy that I guarantee it’ll be a weekly staple all summer long.
Ingredients
To make this you’ll need:
- Cherry tomatoes– Cut in half
- Olive oil– Extra virgin
- Garlic cloves– Minced
- Basil– Large basil leaves cut into a chiffonade
- Seasoning– Crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper
- Parmesan cheese– Freshly shredded or grated
How to Make
This summer spaghetti salad is so easy to make!
Just toss the halved tomatoes together in a bowl with the oil, minced garlic, and basil chiffonade.
Cover the bowl and let it rest for an hour.
Cook the pasta according to the package directions for al dente.
Run it immediately under cold water to chill and prevent the pasta from soaking up the sauce.
Toss the cooked pasta with the tomato mixture.
Let everything sit covered for an hour.
Then uncover and sprinkle on freshly grated or shredded Parmesan cheese.
Serve and enjoy!
Storing Leftovers
Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
The longer you store this, the more the pasta will soak up the liquid from the oil and tomatoes so you may need to toss it with more oil.
Also, the tomatoes may get a little mealy if they sit in the fridge for too long.
Tips and Tricks
- Make sure to only cook the pasta to al dente and run it immediately under cold water to stop it from cooking further and help enhance the flavors.
- You can serve this warm or chilled.
- Add other flavors and textures in with a can of rinsed drained chickpeas or white beans.
- You can use other kinds of pasta if you don’t have spaghetti. Linguine or penne would both be acceptable substitutes.
Other Summer Pasta Salads
Summer spaghetti salad is an easy dinner idea when you want a plate of light fresh flavors.
Make it and enjoy!
Looking for other summer pasta salads?
Try these:
- Summertime Tortellini Salad
- Shrimp Scampi Pasta Salad
- Caprese Pasta Salad
- Sesame Ginger Pasta Salad
- Doritos Taco Pasta Salad
- Seafood Pasta Salad
- Spinach Dip Pasta Salad
If you’ve tried this SUMMER SPAGHETTI SALAD, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Summer Spaghetti Salad
Ingredients
- 1 - 1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 18 large basil leaves chiffonade
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Add the tomatoes, oil, garlic, and basil to a small mixing bowl. Gently toss together, then cover and let rest for 1 hour.1 - 1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes, 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, 6 garlic cloves, 18 large basil leaves
- Add the Summer Spaghetti Salad pared pasta to a large mixing bowl, then add the remaining ingredient's. Mix everything together until evenly incorporalted.1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, salt & pepper, 1 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese
- Cover and let sit for 1 hour, then serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure to only cook the pasta to al dente and run it immediately under cold water to stop it from cooking further and help enhance the flavors.
- You can serve this warm or chilled.
- Add other flavors and textures in with a can of rinsed drained chickpeas or white beans.
- You can use other kinds of pasta if you don't have spaghetti. Linguine or penne would both be acceptable substitutes.
Nutrition
