West Coast Noodle & Garden Toss

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

The flavor actually improves as it chills (a huge win for planning ahead!).
It’s packed with fresh, crisp vegetables for fantastic texture.
Super easy to customize with whatever produce you have on hand.
A fantastic, budget-friendly side dish perfect for large gatherings.
It’s unique—a fun, unexpected twist on traditional cold pasta salad.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Long, thin noodles that serve as the flexible, satisfying base.
Tiny, bright red bursts of sweetness and acidity.
The watery, cooling vegetable that adds a refreshing crunch.
Mild, firm summer squash that holds its shape beautifully.
Crisp, colorful peppers that provide essential sweetness and structure.
A finely diced aromatic bulb that adds a necessary savory zing.
Salty, briny little additions that give the salad a Mediterranean flair.
The main tangy liquid that coats the ingredients and tenderizes the vegetables.
Grated sharp cheese that helps thicken the vinaigrette and adds richness.
Small, subtle seeds that add a slight nutty flavor to the dressing.
Mild seasonings (three distinct types) that enhance the overall savory profile of the dish.

How It’s Made

This cold salad starts by cooking and cooling the long pasta until it’s perfectly chilled. While the pasta cools down, you combine all the fresh, colorful garden vegetables in a massive mixing bowl. Separately, the liquid base is created by whisking the main vinaigrette with several unique seasonings and the grated cheese. Finally, the dressing is poured and tossed with the noodles and vegetables, and then the entire bowl is covered and allowed to rest in the refrigerator for a few hours so the flavors can fully meld.

Tips, Variations & Storage

Pasta Tip: Immediately rinse the pasta in cold water after draining to stop the cooking process and wash away excess starch, which is key to preventing the noodles from sticking together.
Noodle Swap: Don’t have spaghetti? Use any hearty, short pasta shape like rotini, fusilli, or penne. They all soak up the delicious dressing just fine!
Add-Ins: For extra heartiness, try adding diced ham, pepperoni, or crumbled cooked bacon. Canned artichoke hearts or small mozzarella balls also make excellent additions.
Dressing Substitution: If you run out of bottled Italian dressing, you can whisk together equal parts olive oil and red wine vinegar and add a packet of dry Italian seasoning for a quick homemade substitute.
Storage: Store leftovers, well-covered, in the refrigerator for up to four days. If it seems dry the next day, just stir in a splash of olive oil or a tablespoon of water to freshen it up.
Freezing: I don’t recommend freezing pasta salad. The vegetables will lose all their crispness and become soggy and watery once thawed, completely ruining the texture.

FAQ

Q: Why do I need to chill the salad for so long before serving? A: Chilling is essential because it allows the dry ingredients (like the pasta and the spices) to fully absorb the liquid and flavor from the vinaigrette, resulting in a much deeper, well-rounded taste.

Q: Can I use different vegetables than the ones listed? A: Absolutely! This recipe is highly flexible. Feel free to swap in chopped cauliflower, small broccoli florets, or different colors of bell peppers based on what you have on hand or what your family prefers.

Q: Does it matter if I use store-bought or fresh-grated Parmesan? A: Store-bought grated Parmesan cheese works perfectly here. Since it’s mixed right into the dressing, you don’t need the extra fuss or expense of grating a fresh block.

Q: Is this salad gluten-free friendly? A: Yes! If you substitute the regular spaghetti with a gluten-free spaghetti option, the rest of the salad ingredients are generally gluten-free, making it an easy and delicious dietary swap.

Q: How can I prevent my noodles from sticking together? A: The most important step is rinsing the noodles thoroughly under cold water immediately after draining. This removes the surface starch and halts the cooking process, preventing stickiness.

Recipes

For the Salad Base

1 pound long thin pasta strands (spaghetti noodles), prepared and thoroughly cooled
1 ½ cups halved miniature vine tomatoes
1 large diced European cucumber
2 medium courgettes zucchini, chopped into small pieces
1 medium red bell pepper finely diced
1 medium green bell pepper finely diced
1 medium red bulb onion finely minced
1 standard can of pitted black olives drained and sliced

For the Vinaigrette

1 bottle of your preferred Italian dressing
½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon tiny hulled seeds (sesame seeds)
1 teaspoon ground smoked seasoning (paprika)
½ teaspoon crushed celery seeds
¼ teaspoon granulated garlic powder

Instructions

Prepare the Pasta: Boil the thin pasta strands according to package directions until they reach your preferred doneness. Immediately rinse the noodles under cold running water and allow them to drain thoroughly until completely cool.
Combine the Solids: Transfer the cooled pasta to an exceptionally large mixing bowl. Add the diced cucumber, chopped zucchini, halved cherry tomatoes, minced red onion, diced red bell pepper, diced green bell pepper, and sliced black olives.
Whip the Dressing: In a separate small bowl, whisk together the bottled Italian dressing, grated Parmesan cheese, sesame seeds, paprika, celery seeds, and garlic powder until all ingredients are well-integrated.
Dress the Salad: Pour the entire seasoned vinaigrette mixture over the spaghetti and vegetable combination in the large bowl. Gently toss all components until the noodles and vegetables are uniformly coated with the dressing.
Chill: Cover the bowl tightly and place the salad in the refrigerator for two to three hours. This rest time allows the noodles to absorb the flavors fully before you serve.