Easy Spaghetti Salad Recipe

You are going to love this easy Spaghetti Salad Recipe! It’s made with Italian dressing and just a few other simple ingredients but the taste is out of this world!

Growing up we ate a lot of spaghetti – a lot! My mom was a single mom to four children so, since spaghetti was a relatively cheap meal, it was frequently on the menu. Unfortunately, spaghetti salad was something we never had. Just plain ole regular spaghetti, usually with ground meat in the sauce. 

The first time I ever tried spaghetti salad was at my inlaws’ home. My mother-in-law had fixed it for a cookout and it quickly became a favorite of mine. Not only is it easy to fix, but the ingredients list is also short and simple. Now that we have 5 children, I like this recipe even more because most of them will eat it with enthusiasm. 

I’ve made a few modifications to my mother-in-law’s recipe over the years and wanted to share this delicious Spaghetti Salad recipe with you today. You’re going to love it! 

Spaghetti Salad Recipe

Ingredients

• 16 ounces (1 pound) of spaghetti noodles
• 2 pints of grape tomatoes
• 16 ounces of your favorite Italian dressing
• 16 ounces of diced ham
• 3 green onions
• 6 ounces finely shredded parmesan cheese
• 16 ounces of bacon (optional)

Directions

1. Start by boiling water and cooking the spaghetti noodles. If you’ll be adding the optional bacon, you’ll also want to start that right now. I like to fix our bacon in the air fryer or in the oven. 
2. While the spaghetti noodles are cooking (and bacon if you’d like), you’ll want to prep your grape tomatoes. Cut each one into 4 pieces. 
3. Next, slice the green onions. I only slice down the green portion of the onion (where the stalk is hollow) and toss the rest. 
4. I purchase prepackaged diced ham but you can also use fresh ham if you have leftovers. Just make sure it is diced into bite-sized pieces. If you have purchased it prepackaged, you’ll want to drain it. 
5. Once the spaghetti has been cooked, combine all ingredients (except for bacon) in a big bowl and toss to mix them well.
6. Garnish with crumbled bacon pieces (I like mine cooked until crispy), if desired. 
7. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to eat. 

Easy Spaghetti Salad Recipe

This easy spaghetti salad recipe is a crowd pleaser! It uses Italian dressing and a few other simple ingredients to create one delicious spaghetti salad dish!

Print Pin Rate

Course: Recipes

Cuisine: American

Keyword: ham salad, pasta salad, spaghetti salad, spaghetti salad with Italian dressing

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 670kcal

Author: Janessa

Ingredients

• 16 ounces 1 pound of spaghetti noodles
• 2 pints of grape tomatoes
• 16 ounces of your favorite Italian dressing
• 16 ounces of diced ham
• 3 green onions
• 6 ounces finely shredded parmesan cheese
• 16 ounces of bacon optional

Instructions

• Start by boiling water and cooking the spaghetti noodles. If you'll be adding the optional bacon, you'll also want to start that right now. I like to fix our bacon in the air fryer or in the oven. Since I don't need to flip the bacon while it cooks there, it allows me just to get it started and then concentrate on prepping other things.
• While the spaghetti noodles are cooking (and bacon if you'd like), you'll want to prep your grape tomatoes. Cut each one into 4 pieces (quarter them). 
• Next, slice the green onions. I only slice down the green portion of the onion (where the stalk is hollow) and toss the rest. 
• I purchase prepackaged diced ham but you can also use fresh ham if you have leftovers. Just make sure it is diced into bite-sized pieces. If you have purchased it prepackaged, you'll want to drain it. I've noticed in the store that they sell 2 different sizes of diced ham chunks. I prefer the smaller pieces for this recipe.
• Once the spaghetti has been cooked, combine all ingredients (except for bacon) in a big bowl and toss to mix them well. 
• Garnish with crumbled bacon pieces (I like mine cooked until crispy), if desired. 
• Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator until you're ready to eat. 

Notes

You can substitute cherry tomatoes for the grape tomatoes if needed. Also, if you're in a hurry, I've also used canned diced tomatoes as well. The fresh tomatoes definitely taste the best, but the canned tomatoes aren't bad either.

You can substitute 16 ounces of deli ham slices (lunch meat) if you can't find the diced ham chunks. Just cute the ham into bite sizes pieces. We've done this before and it tasted great, I just prefer the purchase the diced ham because it saves time.

If you decide to add bacon, you are welcome to mix it in at the same time as all the other ingredients. I prefer the crispness of the bacon in my spaghetti salad though, which is why I just add it to the top. This way, it maintains its crispness. Plus, my husband is one of the few people I know who doesn't love bacon added to everything, so this way he can have his without bacon.

When I fix this recipe, I am fixing it for 2 adults (who eat a large size portion) plus 5 children eating child-size portions. We always have enough leftovers for lunch or dinner the following day. Oh, and the leftovers are just as good as when you make this fresh!

My favorite dressing to use for this Spaghetti Salad is Olive Garden's Original Italian Dressing. You can find it at most grocery stores. Of course, you can always substitute it with your personal favorite Italian dressing.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 670kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 1634mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g

I hope your family enjoys this Spaghetti Salad recipe as much as our family has over the years! 

If you’re taking this spaghetti salad on a picnic, you should fix some easy butter biscuits and Dirt pudding to go with it!