It’s been a long, cold, snowy Winter here, but Spring is just around the corner. I love Spring, Summer, and Fall when you can have large outdoor get togethers with family and friends. I have a number of recipes that are good for large gatherings and, as I was going through them, I ran across this one for Spaghetti Salad.
It is one of my favorites, and I like it partly because it’s unique – that is, I have never seen anyone else bring this particular salad to a pot luck or get together. I also love the cold pasta mixed with the crunchiness of the celery and green onions, the tanginess of the Ranch dressing, and the saltiness of a good hard salami.
I received a copy of this recipe from my brother-in-law, Ed, who is quite a good cook. He makes the best smoked ribs I have ever had in my life anywhere. We had Thanksgiving at their house a few years ago and had Standing Rib Roast for dinner instead of Turkey. My sister-in-law, Jana, and Ed aren’t afraid to mix things up like that, and their kids are a lot of fun, too.
So, in hopes that Spring gets here soon, and that we can start having cookouts and family and friends together again, here is Ed’s recipe (with a few of my own tweaks) for Spaghetti Salad.
Spaghetti Salad ingredients.
Cook the pasta until tender (a few minutes past al dente). Drain well and toss the warm pasta with half of the dressing. Chill.
Once completely chilled, toss with the remainder of the ingredients except the tomatoes. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Serve with diced tomatoes on top or dice and mix them into the salad if it is going to be eaten at one sitting.
See my notes at the bottom of the recipe for my substitutions, tips and hints. I love this!
Yummy!
Spaghetti Salad
Recipe has been adapted from one received courtesy of my brother-in-law, Ed Seutter
Serves 8 to 12
1 pound spaghetti noodles*
1 16-ounce bottle Ranch salad dressing
3 hard-boiled eggs, finely diced
¼ to ½ pound hard salami, thinly sliced into strips
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely diced
4 celery ribs, finely diced
1 cup (about 1 bunch) green onions, finely diced
1 to 2 cups diced Roma tomatoes
Cook pasta until tender (1 or 2 minutes past al dente). Drain well and toss the warm pasta with ½ of the Ranch dressing. Allow to cool completely. Toss the cooled pasta with the remaining ingredients, except the tomatoes, until well coated and combined. Immediately prior to serving, add the tomatoes. Chill.
Notes:
Diced Roma tomatoes may be added immediately prior to serving, but they can become soggy in leftover salad. An alternative is to serve some diced tomatoes on the side to be sprinkled on top when serving.
I use low sodium, low-fat salami, and it works well in this recipe. Hickory smoked turkey may be substituted for the salami.
* I use whole grain pasta which comes in packages of 14.5 ounces, and, although not quite a pound, that amount works fine.
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