Servings: 8

Pasta: subheading: Pasta:
16 oz spaghetti 16 oz spaghetti
Salad dressing: subheading: Salad dressing:
¼ cup lemon juice freshly squeezed ¼ cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon honey
salt and pepper to taste salt and pepper to taste
Salad ingredients: subheading: Salad ingredients:
12 oz cherry tomatoes red and yellow (sliced in half) 12 oz cherry tomatoes red and yellow (sliced in half)
2 medium cucumbers sliced 2 medium cucumbers sliced
⅓ cup red onion chopped ⅓ cup red onion chopped
⅓ cup black olives sliced ⅓ cup black olives sliced
⅓ cup green olives sliced ⅓ cup green olives sliced
4 oz crumbled feta cheese 4 oz crumbled feta cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions.
Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and immediately rinse it with cold water. Drain again.
While the pasta is cooking, proceed with the rest of the recipe.
In a large bowl, combine the salad dressing ingredients: olive oil, lemon juice, honey, and Italian seasoning. Mix. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Add sliced cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, chopped red onion, and olives to the bowl with the dressing, mixing the dressing thoroughly with the veggies. Let them marinate while the pasta is cooking. The tomatoes should release juices.
Add drained and rinsed spaghetti and crumbled feta cheese to the bowl with marinated veggies. Toss to combine.
Season with salt and pepper. Add more lemon juice, if desired.

Use any shape of pasta you like, including spaghetti, fettuccine, linguine, bucatini, or angel hair pasta. You can also use short-cut pasta, such as bow-tie, penne, rigatoni, fusilli, or orecchiette.  Use any shape of pasta you like, including spaghetti, fettuccine, linguine, bucatini, or angel hair pasta. You can also use short-cut pasta, such as bow-tie, penne, rigatoni, fusilli, or orecchiette.
Rinse cooked pasta under cold water before adding to the salad. This step is important. You want spaghetti to retain its texture and not get mushy.  Rinse cooked pasta under cold water before adding to the salad. This step is important. You want spaghetti to retain its texture and not get mushy.
Salad dressing options. Make a dressing from scratch or use store-bought Italian or Greek.  Salad dressing options. Make a dressing from scratch or use store-bought Italian or Greek.
Veggies. Add bell peppers, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, marinated artichokes, and zucchini.  Veggies. Add bell peppers, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, marinated artichokes, and zucchini.
Add leafy greens, such as spinach or arugula.  Add leafy greens, such as spinach or arugula.
Cheese. Other options besides feta are small Mozzarella balls (pearls), sliced Mozzarella, and cubed or grated Parmesan.  Cheese. Other options besides feta are small Mozzarella balls (pearls), sliced Mozzarella, and cubed or grated Parmesan.
To make it gluten-free, use the gluten-free pasta of your choice. Once cooked, rinse the pasta with cold water to prevent it from getting mushy.  To make it gluten-free, use the gluten-free pasta of your choice. Once cooked, rinse the pasta with cold water to prevent it from getting mushy.
Make it dairy-free. Use dairy-free, vegan feta cheese instead of regular.  Make it dairy-free. Use dairy-free, vegan feta cheese instead of regular.
How to serve it? Serve it warm, at room temperature, or cold.  How to serve it? Serve it warm, at room temperature, or cold.
Tips for making it ahead and meal-prep  Tips for making it ahead and meal-prep
This is one of those recipes that tastes even better the next day once all the flavors blend.  This is one of those recipes that tastes even better the next day once all the flavors blend.
Assemble all of the salad ingredients in a large, airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 4 days. Of course, it's best to serve it within 24 hours.  Assemble all of the salad ingredients in a large, airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 4 days. Of course, it's best to serve it within 24 hours.
Add extra salad dressing before serving. The spaghetti salad tends to soak up the dressing as it rests in the fridge. You can quickly make extra dressing from scratch or use store-bought Italian or Greek. Add this extra dressing immediately before serving to freshen up the salad.  Add extra salad dressing before serving. The spaghetti salad tends to soak up the dressing as it rests in the fridge. You can quickly make extra dressing from scratch or use store-bought Italian or Greek. Add this extra dressing immediately before serving to freshen up the salad.