Ingredients
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
1 pound thin spaghetti, broken into thirds
2 medium zucchini, diced
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 large hothouse cucumber, diced
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 6.5-ounce can sliced black olives, drained (optional)
Instructions
1. In a small bowl or jar, combine olive oil, red wine vinegar, Parmesan cheese, sesame seeds, oregano, poppy seeds, garlic powder or minced garlic, paprika, celery seed, and salt. Mix well and let flavors blend for at least 10 minutes.
2. Bring 4 quarts of water with 1 tablespoon salt to a boil. Add broken spaghetti and cook according to package directions, about 9 minutes.
3. Drain and rinse pasta under cold water.
4. In a large bowl, mix diced zucchini, halved grape tomatoes, diced cucumber, green and red bell peppers, diced onion, and sliced black olives.
5. Add the cooled pasta to the vegetables.
6. Drizzle with the prepared dressing to taste and toss to combine.
7. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight to enhance flavors before serving.
Notes
🍅 Break spaghetti into thirds for easier cooking and serving.
🥒 Dice vegetables uniformly to ensure even distribution of flavors.
🧀 For extra creaminess, add cheeses like mozzarella, feta, or goat cheese if desired.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Chilling Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 9 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Boiling, Mixing
- Cuisine: Fusion
- Diet: Contains Dairy
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 257
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 70 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 1 mg