- 6 ounces dry spaghetti, broken into
fourths
- cup frozen mixed vegetables
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes (fresh is
better, but canned will work too if you
drain them very well)
- 4 ounce can of sliced black olives,
drained (or 1/2 cup of chopped green
olives)
- 2 tablespoon minced onion
- 2 tablespoons of banana peppers, or
pepperoncini, chopped, or a few shakes
of red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon dry parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon basil
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced (or 1/2
teaspoon garlic powder)
1/3 cup oil (olive oil is traditional
but regular vegetable oil works too)
- 3 tablespoons vinegar (red wine
vinegar is traditional but any will do
in a pinch)
First off this is a good company salad.
It has a few ingredients that I don't
usually use, but for a fancy salad that can
make a spectacular impact, it is pretty
inexpensive, and it tastes really good too.
I like to use it for potlucks and family
gatherings because it is a special sort of
salad.
Begin by boiling the spaghetti until it is
tender. Put the frozen mixed veggies into
the collander or strainer. Pour the boiling
water and spaghetti over the veggies. This
will thaw out the vegetables, and cook them
just briefly. Run cold water over the
spaghetti and allow it to drain well.
Meanwhile, prepare all of the other items.
Chop your onions, tomatoes, and banana
peppers. Shred your cheese and slice your
olives if necessary. Now put all of the
ingredients into a large bowl together. Stir
it all up to combine everything evenly.
Put a lid on the salad and let it sit for at
least 2 hours before serving. It won't taste
as good as you want it to unless the
ingredients all get a chance to marinate
together. Serve with roasted wheat-meat or
pizza. Makes enough for 6 servings.
Note: In the winter I use canned tomatoes in
this salad. I buy a 15 oz can of plain diced
tomatoes and then drain off the tomato juice
they are packed in. Usually there is just
about a cup of tomatoes left. If you don't
have banana peppers, and aren't likely to
ever buy any, then you can add a few shakes
of red pepper flakes instead, or even use
half a can of green chile peppers. I really
like the banana peppers myself. They are in
with the olives and pickles at the
supermarket. They are a little tangy, but
not hot. Black olives are traditional with
this salad, but I have used green olives
successfully too. You could use a few of
each if you wanted to be extra colorful.
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